My Second Chance
by lightmylumiere
Summary: Emma's pregnant and the child is Graham's.
1. Chapter 1

*New story for one of my favorite shows!

I loved Emma and the Sheriff as much as the next person, they were so cute together. Which leads me to ask the question, what would Henry feel if he found out his birth mom was pregnant? What would Emma do if the kid was Graham's? We're about to find out.

Review please, I know since he departed few people are reading but I know someone out there still cares.*

Remembrance

She didn't want to believe he was gone. No one wanted to, but particularly not her. He was her colleague and lover. Sometimes, she would admit, he seemed crazy. With the wolf, and the second life, and the heart. But that didn't change how she felt towards him.

How did she feel towards him? In passing, he was the best boss ever. In his life he was the greatest man she ever knew. Yet at his funeral she felt awful. She felt like she could've saved him, like this was all her fault. And perhaps, in some lights, it was. Had she driven him to his pre-death insanity?

It was hardly a week after the funeral that she started to feel different. She was picking up his slack, like he did for her usually, and all responsibility fell on her. Her wardrobe was notably different: the black of a person mourning a lover. Her hair was always up, she woke up later. She was tired and sluggish, she didn't get up if she didn't want to.

"Come on, Emma." Mary Margaret snapped as she shook Emma awake one morning, her mug of hot chocolate resting on a stack of books at her bedside. "You have work, I'm not letting you miss it." Emma groggily sat up, rubbed the sleep from her eyes and darted for the bathroom down the hall, where she proceeded to lose last night's supper. "You okay Emma?" Mary Margaret asked, putting her hand on Emma's shoulder comfortingly.

"Yeah, probably just ate some bad chicken or something at Granny's last night." She shrugged off her hand. "No big deal."

"Then let's get you cleaned up and ready for work." Mary Margaret got her up on her feet, and pulled back Emma's hair. "The duties of the sheriff never rest."

Emma smiled back at her roommate fakely. "And I'm sure Henry's waiting for me at the station so I can walk him to school." And she strutted lazily back into her room to start her day.

Throughout the week Emma only seemed to get sicker. She mostly sat at her desk, Graham's old desk, and looked at old files. There sure wasn't a lot of crime in Storybrooke. As the afternoons rolled in she waited for Henry to come and visit her as he did about every day. "Afternoon Emma." The smart ten year old said as he dropped his bag by the door. "How are you?"

"I've been better." She admitted, pushing wisps of her curly blonde hair out of her face.

"Still sick, huh."

"It's just a stomach bug. Probably picked something up. Mary Margaret's around all those sick kids all the time, she could've gotten it and given it to me."

"Miss Blanchard hasn't been sick, though." Henry reminded her. "Maybe you should see a doctor or something." He suggested.

"I can self medicate a stomach bug. I can handle that." She stubbornly kicked her boots up onto the desktop.

"But what if it isn't a stomach bug?" Henry asked, seeming to get the death glare from the sheriff. "Just a thought." He left her thinking, and that was as deadly as the next thing.

She drove over to the drug store in the sheriff car to go pick up a pregnancy test. "Emma," a familiar voice ran out from behind her. It was the voice of Regina Mills. "why do you have that?" She pointed at the pregnancy test.

"It's for Mary Margaret." Emma quickly lied. "She... well..." And the mayor, probably out of disinterest, walked off; leaving Emma at the checkout alone.

And that night, that Monday night, she found out something she hoped was just a stomach bug wasn't.

She was pregnant.


	2. Chapter 2

*Author's note at the bottom.*

Hot Chocolate

She had to tell her. She felt a duty to, as her roommate and as her friend. She didn't even tell Mary Margaret that she was close to Graham, though. Wouldn't it be odd saying that she was pregnant and he was the late father? She would probably laugh, thinking she was kidding! Who knew her course of actions anyway?

A second thought raced through her head. Just a one word thought, a simple being in her mind. Henry. What would Henry say? Worse, what would Regina say? She could imagine Henry being upset or angry at her, but not too too upset. They still had operation cobra to worry about, and this would mean he had a brother or sister... technically.

She approached Mary Margaret one afternoon, about a month after Emma found out. Mary Margaret was grading papers, the paper piled and sprawled across the coffee table. Her hair had an obvious spot where her hand had been pulling at it, you could tell she had been grading papers for a while with how frustrated she was. "I swear these kids aren't trying their hardest!" She insisted, probably to herself seeing as Emma hadn't exactly made her presence known. "If they would, they would've all done so well on this test, they're so much better than this!" She looked up to see Emma in the doorway, wearing not-so-skinny skinny jeans, a white tank top, and Graham's brownish black leather jacket; her hair tied in a golden topknot on her head. "Emma." She breathed, half hoping that she hadn't heard that rant. "Why are you home so early?"

"No one who needed to be arrested, another great day of being the force of good in this town." Emma spat sarcastically at her roommate and sank down beside her.

"Emma, what's wrong?" Mary Margaret asked a decent question, one Emma thought she should answer. But as she bit her lip, Mary Margaret stood to go to the kitchen. "Nothing hot chocolate can't fix."

"Hot chocolate can't fix this one." Emma admitted but Mary Margaret brought out two mugs and a cinnamon shaker.

"Tell me all about it." She took a sip of hot chocolate and waited for Emma to speak.

"I'm pregnant." Mary Margaret did an unintentional spit take, spewing hot chocolate all over Emma.

"Oh my!..." She recollected herself, thinking of who was the father. She was happy for Emma, definitely, but curiosity almost removed joy from the equation for the time being. "Who's the baby's father?"

"Graham." Emma whispered, as if the biggest secret in the world. Mary Margaret was taken aback by this information, looked at her paper pile and reorganized it into one tall pile.

"I didn't know you... and Graham... Sheriff Graham?" She asked equally quiet. Then she asked the two questions Emma was dreading. "What are you going to tell Henry? And what are you going to do with the baby?"

"I-I-I don't know." Emma stammered, tripping over her own words. Mary Margaret gave her a comforting pat on the shoulder as if approving her very words. She was truly trying to look out for Emma, and for her kid, with the maternal instinct she seemed to have toward Emma.

"Telling Henry sooner rather than later might make this easier on all three of you." Mary Margaret hugged Emma before she exited, a comforting embrace. "And, Emma, I am very happy for you." And with a smile, Mary Margaret left the room.

*And now for the Author's note. I have a few notes: thank you to all of you who favorited, alerted, and reviewed My Second Chance! A second note, I love hot chocolate with cinnamon on it, thank you OUAT! And a third-probably final- note for this one is that Henry will be informed next chapter! Review please, I need your help!*


	3. Chapter 3

*Thank you, my friends! Another good chapter coming up, some Henry/Emma stuff, and I pray it's beautiful. Here goes!*

Smile

Henry met Emma at Granny's, just like he always did. Ruby, as bouncy as always, and she jumped over to the table as Henry continued to read from his book. "Hot chocolate, kiddo?" She asked, sitting across from him for a few short seconds.

"No thanks, Ruby, I'm just waiting for Emma." He said, she gave him a thumbs up and a wink. How cheesy she was as a waiter, Henry thought, if only she remembered who she was: someone so much cooler!

"Hey kid." Emma said as she walked in, sporting a gray-green turtleneck sweater and jeans, and black combat boots. Her hair was braided, her makeup done to where she looked more formal than Henry had ever seen his birth mom.

"Emma... you look... pretty." This was a new Emma. Not the one he had made come up here from Boston. This Emma was clearly learning... how to be a princess. A beautiful princess that he called his mom. "What's the occasion?"

"Can't I spend time with my favorite kid in town?" She asked, as she sat her hand running to her stomach under the table. She couldn't say that anymore, she thought, it's unfair to call favorites anymore.

"I mean, yeah. But usually you don't come to meet me up on a Saturday." And, of course; wasn't that the truth? She nodded as she recognized the truth in his words. "So what's new?"

"Um..." Here goes. "I'm expecting a baby, Henry."

He smiled at her with the great big grin. She was afraid he would feel hurt, or angry, or abandoned! But he looked happy. "Like my baby brother or sister!" He shrieked with joy.

"I'm glad you're happy, kiddo." She ordered him a mug of hot chocolate as Ruby walked by. "A hot chocolate for Henry, please."

"Emma..." Henry started after a sip of hot chocolate and it's thick blanket of whipped cream. Feeling a certain amount of courage he finished the thought. "mom." Emma smiled at these words, though she usually would've shrugged and told him not to call her that. "This is great!"

"Well it means we have to put Operation Cobra on hold." She explained, rubbing her hands together under the table, not out of greed but rather of anticipated answers.

"No, this will help Operation Cobra even more!" He smiled as if he just had a stroke of genius. "The curse was cast right after you were born, people remember Snow White was expecting a baby. Your baby will help them remember!" He hopped out of his seat and ran over to hug her tightly. "We finally have a plan my mom won't detect."

Emma held her breath for a moment. The one person she didn't think about.


	4. Chapter 4

*Just a quick short note before we begin. I'd like to thank my reviewers, and the people who put the story on favorites and alerts. But to the people who have done either of the latter two and not the first I ask kindly for you to review and give me your ideas please. Now on with the story.*

Time

It had been a few carefully analyzed months since Emma told Henry about her pregnancy, she was now five months along. And as her stomach slowly grew, her work days became more quiet and her antics seemed to decrease.

That's something that worries a mayor, you know.

"Pretty soon you're going to have to ask her for maternity leave." Mary Margaret advised as she sat alongside Emma on their couch, each sipping hot chocolate with their cinnamon on top.

"Who are you talking about?" Emma asked quietly, putting her mug on the coffee table and her hands onto her ever growing baby bump.

"Regina." Mary Margaret said plainly, pushing her mug beside Emma's and lifting them one at a time to slide coasters under each. "Who else would I be talking about?"

"I tuned out." Emma admitted as she leaned back onto one of the couch cushions. Her blonde hair was braided and tossed carelessly over one shoulder, a simple gray tee shirt pulled tightly across her body, gray sweats perfect for her day off. Mary Margaret rolled her eyes.

"Maternity leave. We were talking about your leave." Mary Margaret stated, pushing her dark bangs away from her eyes.

"I'm the sheriff, the only person even in law enforcement in Storybrooke." Emma explained. "I don't get the luxuries of leave."

"Then what are you going to do when you have the baby? Hmm?" This came across a little meaner than it was meant, Emma could tell it wasn't meant meanly by the raised eyebrow and the small grin she wore. "You can't just raise a baby in an office."

"People are always telling me what I can't do, Mary Margaret. Sometimes it's just nice to prove them all wrong." Mary Margaret's head turned to the side. "Before I had Henry, I was told I could never do anything right. Once I had Henry, I was told I could never live without him. Apparently I can do SOMETHING right, or else I wouldn't be back here, protecting him from harm."

"So you think that you're here to protect him from REGINA." And how right she was.

"I have an appointment to go to." Emma stood and prepared to leave.

"I can drive you over there, if you don't want to just walk." Mary Margaret offered kindly.

"It's not exactly in my walking distance."

"Of course it is! We walk by the hospital on our way to Granny's..." Emma gave her a glare. "But you're not talking about Storybrooke."

"I'm covering my tracks." Emma told her. "The less Regina knows the less she can take from me."

"It's only time before she finds out anyways Emma." Emma bit her lip. "Unless you have an alibi."

"I kinda... sorta... told her YOU were pregnant." Mary Margaret's jaw dropped.

"Me? Pregnant?" She stifled a laugh. "I may be a teacher, but it doesn't mean I'm cut out to be a mother." She twirled her hair around her finger. "I can't ever imagine myself as a parent."

Emma reached for her keys off the table, Mary Margaret grabbed her hand. "I'm taking you to Storybrooke for your appointment, okay?"

There was no sense in arguing with your roommate.

*Hat Trick was an almost reassuring episode, wasn't it? I like that we have three awake people, Emma being... confusing and Mary Margaret saving her daughter! I think we're close to a wake-up! And if not, there will be some in my story :) review!*


	5. Chapter 5

*I love you guys! Having readers, reviewers, people who care enough to keep reading! I want you guys to keep loving it.*

Memories

It was the night of prom, cliche as she knew it. She made her dress, it was long and purple velveteen. It was an elaborate beautiful dress, no doubt about it, though she didn't know where she got the inspiration for it.

Her date showed up to give her her corsage and take her to the dance. The flower was a white rose and it had little white and purple flowers surrounding it. "You look pretty." He told her as she put his flower in his pocket.

The ride to prom was in his truck. A traditional country ride given from a country boy, to a big-city prom. They danced the night away, but left early and... well, you can put two and two together.

She was surprised to tell him that she was pregnant, she didn't know what he'd say. And as his hand hit her face, rage grew hot in her boiling blood. She didn't realize that one punch killed him, not one innocent sucker punch when he told her he would leave her and she'd wind up just like every other teen mom: homeless high school dropout stuff.

Jail didn't suit her well, she knew this better than anyone else. And when time came for her to have Henry, they didn't exactly give her many choices. "You can either put him up for adoption or call your parents for bail."

"My parents won't bail me out." And she signed the papers, regretting every moment she lived without the boy he called her only family.

Standing on Regina's doorstep she thought very deeply. She rang the doorbell, imagining what Henry would've been like if she hadn't been in jail, if she had kept her baby boy. He would've been in Boston schools, with his own mother. His real mother. But if it weren't for Regina she would have never been in Storybrooke and she would've never let Mary Margaret or David or Ruby. And they had fixed her broken life, somehow.

"Emma." Regina appeared behind the door, Emma's big jacket (formerly Graham's) was zipped tightly. "What are you doing here?"

"I can to give something to Henry." She held up a picture from an ultrasound, revealing the little baby she felt flutter around in her stomach.

"Mary Margaret's baby?" Regina asked skeptically. "She hasn't put on a lot of weight, to be honest."

"She wasn't pregnant." Emma clarified, then she took in a deep breath before she continued. "I am."

Regina didn't say anything but rather escorted her in. "Come in, Miss Swan."

Emma hadn't been in her house in a good long while, not often since they lost one of the two things they had in common: Graham. She was showed to a leather couch in the mayor's office, where she sat down and unzipped her jacket to reveal her swollen abdomen to the mayor, who's jaw dropped at the sight.

"Wow." Was all Regina could muster. "How far along are you?"

"Five months." Emma told her and Regina nodded.

"So when will you need a replacement at the station?" Cutting to the chase was Regina's specialty.

"Not for a while, actually. If I did, I'd borrow Ruby. She's always looking for new things to do here." Emma explained putting both her hands on her stomach, Regina sat beside her half comfortingly. It was almost disturbing how much the woman cared.

"And I'm sure you'll have to go back to Boston to tell the father..."

"The father was Graham." Emma stated very clearly, quite loudly. Henry was outside the door listening in on them. He saw from a crack in the doorway that Regina looked upset by this fact.

"And what are you going to do, sheriff? With a baby, nobody to take care of it." This cut Emma like a dagger, knowing how it sounded.

"When I came here you were telling me about how your life was great as a single working mom, and now that the shoe's on the other foot it's such an ill fate? That isn't how the game is played." Emma rubbed her stomach soothingly. "I missed out on Henry, but this kid is going to be loved just like I love Henry."

"I love Henry very much, Miss Swan, and his half-sibling doesn't change the fact that I'm still his mom. And you're not." She made very clearly. Then the door opened.

"I love Emma too, mom, and her baby is the only sibling I'll ever have." Henry declared. "You may be my mom legally but she's still my real mom." Henry ran out of the room and then out of the house.

"We will continue this discussion at some point." Regina concluded and ran up to his room. Emma put back on her jacket and hurried outside.

Henry appeared behind the fence. "Why did you come by to talk to the queen, Emma?"

"I had to tell her the truth." She pulled the picture out of her jacket pocket. "And this is for you."

"My baby sister." Henry said quietly and lovingly looking at the little picture. Emma raised an eyebrow.

"Your sister?"

"Or brother. But it would be interesting to see Snow White and Prince Charming with their daughter and granddaughter right?" Emma nodded, going along with his fantasies for a while. "She's going to break the curse. I just know."

*Review love!*


	6. Chapter 6

*Well I'm now to the (as far as I know) anticipated chapter five! A few notes before we begin. Trust me, I don't have much to say. 1: I am happy for every single review I've gotten, 2: I will probably not be including a conversation with Jefferson. Just a conversation, he will be mentioned. And... that's all I have to say.*

Going to Granny's

Everyone came to Granny's on Monday afternoons, as almost an undercover meeting: away from Regina, away from Mr. Gold. "Funny, Mary Margaret and Emma haven't shown up in a while." Granny stated to the waitress in the trampy red skirt and puff sleeved white tie top. "What's up with them, they used to have the greatest things to say."

"Emma's pregnant." Ruby told her once she made it back to the counter and away from the stranger's table.

"Really now?" Granny asked skeptically. "And how would YOU know this if she hasn't been in in a while?"

"I hear everything around here." Ruby spun around, as if implying the whole town. "I know everything she's done in the past forever."

"Do you know who the baby's dad is then?" She replied to her smart granddaughter.

"Well, I have two guesses." She sank down on a bar stool, in which she spun around and faced her grandmother again. "It's either Graham or Mr. Stranger over there."

"Hey, I've never touched the Sheriff." The stranger defended.

"Graham then." Ruby smiled for the stranger helping her point.

Emma walked through the door with Mary Margaret at her side, and they both sat down at a table diagonal from the stranger's. "Mazal tov." He whispered and held up his mug to Emma.

Ruby ran over to their table. "What can I get you three?" She asked exuberantly, befuddling Mary Margaret with the number change. But she smiled when she understood.

"Um, two hot chocolates." Emma asked kindly as she started to shrug off her coat. It was a little on the cold side for it being early in May. Her jeans and leather boots and the purple tee shirt she had on were quite a nice everyday outfit, her hair tied in a bun on top of her head. Those long flowing blonde curls that Granny thought she recognized, just briefly, if they were darker.

"Let me see you Emma." Granny asked, pushing her glasses across the bridge of her nose.

"Okay." She stood from her seat, Granny eyed her. She looked just like her mother, she thought, but how on earth did she know...?

"I've only known three pregnant women in my life." Granny started smiling at Emma. "Ruby's mother, Ashley god bless her and Alexandra both, and your mom."

"MY mom?" Emma asked skeptically.

"Snow was pregnant, with a baby girl. Though James kept INSISTING it was a boy." Granny looked at Mary Margaret. "You must be so proud to see your baby all grown up."

Emma stared at Mary Margaret, who shrugged off Granny's hand and looked over to Emma with a scared expression then back to Granny. "I have no idea what you two are talking about. Who's Snow?"

"I remember too." Ruby said quietly. "You were looking for James." She pointed to Mary Margaret with a smile. "You came to find him and stumbled across Granny and I."

"WHO'S JAMES?" Mary Margaret was beyond confused.

"Mary Margaret..." Emma said uneasily. Mary Margaret stood and quickly darted to their side.

"They're on crack." She said as they were well on their way out. The stranger watched their actions carefully.

"The kind of awakening I've been waiting for."

*Granny and Red: first of many!*


	7. Chapter 7

*Mary thinks everyone is on crack now, whoopee! And here is a great chapter, because we all love Henry. And we are bracing for a wake-up aren't we? Since Granny and Red are there...

Review!*

A Gift

Henry walked into Mr. Gold's pawn shop in search of a gift: a memory of some sort in memorabilia form. He saw tons of trinkets: paperweights Regina would've loved on her desk, teacups like Mary Margaret kept her paper clips in. No no, this gift had to be special.

"What can I do for you today, Henry?" The creepy man from behind the the counter's voice rang out. Mr. Gold.

"I'm just looking for something. For Emma." Of course, Emma's baby. But he wasn't going to tell Mr. Gold that.

"Ah, I see." He picked up a little funny-looking quill that Henry recognized from his book. "This is an interesting trinket that would mean a lot from a special boy like you."

And then he saw the perfect piece. It was a blue crystal unicorn mobile, like he saw in Emma's nursery in the book. Beautiful crystals still in pristine condition. "I'd like that." Henry pointed at the mobile.

"Emma's not into childish pieces like this now is she, boy?" He asked skeptically, but pulled the mobile off the shelf anyways. He twirled it about.

"Emma's expecting a baby, I think she would enjoy this. Especially knowing it's from her older brother." Henry smiled at that thought. He was going to be a brother! The door opened again, but Mr. Gold kept speaking to Henry.

"That would cost a pretty penny, boy, the mom who had that piece would die if she found it." And the mom who owned it reminded her of someone in this town...

"Name your price." The voice was that of none other than David Nolan. "I'll pay for the boy's piece."

"Two hundred dollars." David pulled out his Visa card and handed it to Mr. Gold. Henry smiled at David.

"So Emma's pregnant?" David asked, quite curious. He felt a connection to the sheriff, one he couldn't describe to anyone.

"Yep." The 'p' popped off the word, just like Emma's did.

"And how's Mary Margaret?" Henry raised an eyebrow. "They still live together don't they? I'd like to know how she is, and Emma too."

"Why do you care?" Henry asked, hoping for the fairy tale answer.

"Everyone in this town is like family, I care for the people that saved me." Not the answer he hoped for, but he smiled at the man's words anyways.

"Care to come over with me? It's Mary Margaret's birthday... we're having cocoa and pie I think." Henry looked at the man he would call grandpa, but didn't since David would think him crazy. "I'm sure Mary Margaret-Emma too-would like to see you again."

"You know I CAN'T turn down pie..." David and Henry left the store like that, leaving Mr. Gold alone to his thoughts.

"Charming has feelings towards the boy, eh?" Said he. "I doubt he remembers his own grandson." Rumplestiltkin, or as he was previously Mr. Gold, chuckled. "And his little baby Emma... the queen!" He shrieked, his mind running to Regina immediately. "What would the queen have to do about this?"

*Mary Margaret's birthday party next chapter, review pleases?*


	8. Chapter 8

*id like to start at the beginning, may i? Apologies for how I wrote Rumplestiltkin's awakening, I'm not good at writing him. So with that out of the way...

Ah, yes, the birthday party I promised! Yes that's today. And I must thank every single one of my reviewers, thank you so much for the constant feedback! I'd like to keep on this path?*

To Put Things Simply

This was the one place that Henry knew was a safe place. For Emma. For the baby. For Mary Margaret and David and their unconventional family: every last one of them.

Emma sat on the couch as soon as Henry walked in. "Henry, you can't just walk in here!" Emma fussed, but you could tell it was loving. "You could've given me a heart attack!"

"But I didn't." Henry smiled as he walked over to give him mom a hug. "I love you, mom." She couldn't get enough of those words. Those beautiful words she had missed for ten years, that she had waited to hear for so long. One brief I love you, one she knew wasn't a lie.

"Yeah, I had a question about operation cobra." Emma whispered, her arm around her son's neck.

"Why? Did something happen?" He had that glimmer of glee in his eyes.

"Ruby and Granny... babbling about my mother?" She asked confused.

"So we have Red Riding Hood and Granny, and Rumplestiltkin..."

"Rumplestiltkin?" Emma questioned. "Like steal-the-kid Rumplestiltkin?"

"Mr. Gold, yeah." Emma frowned and rested her hand on her stomach. She didn't want a fairy tale character after her baby, not this time. "But don't worry, mom, he's not going to bother you." A sigh of relief and a knock on the door happened simultaneously. "That must be David."

"You invited David? This is supposed to be a family get-together." Emma scowled at her son and played with his hair.

"It still is. He's your dad, remember?" Henry hoped that was a fact you can't ever forget.

Emma went to answer the door, and true enough David was standing there with a box in his hand. "Emma." He said quietly, knowing how she had felt towards him and Mary Margaret. And since Kathryn disappeared, though both Mary Margaret and David had been proven innocent, her feelings really hadn't changed. "I'm sorry."

"What for." She said coldly. "For ruining Mary's life the first or the second time?"

"You know I didn't mean..." He muttered, Henry smiled at him. "Congrats, by the way, on the baby." He strapped on a cheesy smile, Emma couldn't help but laugh.

"Thanks I guess." She smiled in return, feeling the baby kick her, just softly. I suppose she took notice of David, thought Emma. What if Henry wasn't wrong?

"Do you know whether it's a boy or a girl yet?" He asked. He loved babies, he always saw happy families with them, but never saw him and Kathryn like that. They weren't a happy married couple, like he thought he was, he felt much closer to Mary Margaret... oddly.

"Nope. But Mary should tell you when I find out." Only then did Emma realize how cold that sounded. "Or if I see you first."

"David!" Was a shriek heard from Mary Margaret as a hug was wrapped around him. He loved the feeling of her cardigan-covered arms on his bare arms. "I didn't know you'd be coming!"

"I... heard there'd be pie." He joked. "I brought whipped cream if it's any added bonus."

She smiled and played with her bangs. "Did you guys plan this?" She teased Emma and Henry, grinning from ear to ear.

"It was Emma's idea." Henry admitted, smiling as he wrapped his thin arms around his mother, one hand on her growing stomach. And Emma would admit she liked having family this go-round. "I just invited David."

"We hoped you'd like a party, after all." Emma said hopefully. "Happy birthday Mary." She lost Henry's grip and went to hug her mo... Mary Margaret!

"I love you guys!" Mary Margaret invited David and Henry into a great big group hug. "You're the best family anyone could ever ask for!"

*Play practice is whooping my butt and it was dress rehearsal tonight and I AM DYING! I'm a wife, a camel, a prisoner, and a groupie fan girl of Elvis. Care to guess the show? Reviews are loved, very much so!*


	9. Chapter 9

*Okay I like the feedback!

Thanks to fictionfrek101 for asking to make the chapters longer, and Starsinger for fixing some grammar errors. So updates will probably be a little farther apart, but I hope you guys can understand that. :) and yes, I am in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, which is goody goody gumdrops! It's the last week, the actual show for three days! So review please, I'd like some names for Emma's future bundle of joy?*

Help Me

"So I hear you know something about sheriff Swan's child, Mr. Gold." Regina walked into the shop smiling wickedly.

"Nothing you probably don't, and call me by my name your majesty." Rumplestiltkin scowled. "Now what is it you want?"

"Help." Regina continued to smile so brightly. "You see, my son takes a liking to our new sheriff, one I'm not sure if I approve of."

"Not your place to approve, dearie, nothing can win a battle against a mother's love." His scowl turns into a smidge more of a smirk. "I'm no help in that light."

"I can bring you back something that you lost, Rumple, you should know."

"I haven't lost anything." He lied quietly, remembering the dark-haired girl he lost all that time ago.

"That Belle girl." Oh, what an influence Regina could be! "She's not as far gone as you'd figure."

"She died." He reminded her, her Cheshire-cat grin only growing. "Didn't she?"

"The mind plays fabulous tricks on its captives, I must say."

"So my Belle..." He asked quietly. "You TOOK her from me?"

"It sounds so harsh when you put it that way." Regina scoffed. "Let's go with borrowed... and will return if you help me."

"Why would I help you?" He exclaimed. "Get out of my shop!"

"I'm the only chance of you ever finding her, Rumple, keep that thoroughly in mind."

"The sheriff can help me find a missing person!" He escorted her to the door. "You're a cold wicked woman, Regina, and I pray you get what's coming to you." And he sank down behind his counter and thought.

...meanwhile, on the other side of town...

Mary Margaret and Emma sat at a booth at Granny's, Mary Margaret refusing to look little Red Riding Hood-as she apparently was- in the eyes. She wore a black shift-style dress, only coming roughly to her knees, and her very un-fairy tale knee high black converse. Around her hair she wore a red bow, and a red cardigan. Ruby has never dressed so nicely in all my life, Mary Margaret thought, what if this fairy tale thing was right?

That was a rough thought. If it were the case, thought she, her Prince Charming was lurking around the corner trying to find her. Possibly ruining her relationship with David. And she had a daughter. A daughter who was apparently Emma? Which meant she had two grandchildren, and her stepmother was raising her oldest grandson. I'm too young to have grandchildren, she reminded herself, I'm only twenty nine for crying out loud!

"She's back to herself now." Granny commented, probably more to Emma than Mary Margaret. "Though I was starting to like her new confidence."

Emma slurped down a sip of her water. "Confidence comes and goes, Granny, it'll be back soon."

"Red's never been much for change." Granny observed Emma closely as she slid the glass back across the table and glanced at Mary Margaret. "But neither was your mom, or your dad."

"Right." Mary Margaret muttered. "Me." She sipped her hot chocolate coolly, getting cinnamon on her upper lip in the process, but licked it off before her cup hit the table again.

"One day, Snow, one day" Granny started, putting her hand on Mary Margaret's shoulder. "you will see that I was right all along."

"You need to see a therapist." Mary Margaret breathed, grabbed her purse and turned to the woman everyone told her was her daughter. "Teachers and sheriffs always have work to do." They both stood to leave.

"Bye, Princess Emma! Snowy!" Red smiled and waved as the two left.

...later, at Archie's office...

Mary Margaret walked through the door, seeing Archie Hopper sitting in a chair by the ever-so-common "therapy couch". He smiled at her sweetly. "Miss Blanchard." He said surprised. "How can I help you?"

"People in this town need some serious help." She explained. "Thinking they're fairy tale characters! I gave Henry a book, he thinks we're all in it. There's something seriously wrong here!"

"Kids just want something to believe in. Stories with happy endings are good for them."

"I know that, I'm a teacher remember? I work with kids all the time. But Henry isn't like other kids." She sighed, thinking about the smart dark-haired boy, her roommate's son. "He psychoanalyzes people and characters, lists them by personalities. It's not normal, it's not typical."

"Just let him be, everything can get better with time." Archie said coolly. This seemed to be something he had said so many times, it was his catchphrase.

"Who do you think you are, Jiminy Cricket?" She joked, hoping to get a laugh from him. But he didn't laugh, he just looked into the mirror.

"I am." He examined himself, turning to examine his features. His human features.

"Why am I the only damn person in this town in their right mind!" Mary Margaret stormed out, and left Jiminy to his thoughts and past.

*Well it's slightly different... but I hope you guys like it!*


	10. Chapter 10

*We've got a smidgeon of a skipper there. So a quick fast forward and a hopefully great Emma/Rumplestiltkin/Regina battle, goody goody gumdrops! Onto the story... MUSH!*

Dramatic Drama

Sitting at her desk at the sheriff's station, Emma waited for her usual lunchtime visit from Mary Margaret. Mary Margaret gave up on therapy barely a week after she started it. "Archie's gone crazy." She told Emma.

Emma was waiting for her baby to be here. She was six and a half months pregnant, and she was imagining the baby. It would have her blonde hair, naturally curling into spirals. His deep brown eyes and brilliant smile. Pale and thin and beautiful.

Her door opened, and the face in it wasn't the one she had wanted to see. "Mr. Gold." She breathed as he sat down on the bed behind the open cell door.

"Call me by my real name, dearie, it's Rumplestiltkin." Rumplestiltkin told her loudly. "Rumple will do though, little princess."

"Alrighty then." Well this was awkward. Emma smiled at the man anyways. "What can I do for you... Rumple?"

"There's a specific queen out after you, dearie." He explained. "You and your baby."

"Considering the only queen I know even distantly is the queen of England..."

"Queen Regina." He announced, then added coldly. "Some princess YOU turned out to be."

"There's nothing I can do about Regina."

"You can't, dearie, but your mommy and daddy can." He was implying something, but Emma couldn't figure out exactly what.

"The real question, I suppose, is why do you want to help me?" She was skeptical of his warning. What did he really want? He was a man of many faces, and everything he did was a bargain.

"I need you to help me find something. Something I lost many years ago."

"And what makes you think I can help?" She asked quietly.

"I lost someone, someone dear to me, or so I thought." Belle flashed into his mind. A tortured, pale soul, once the beautiful fair princess with a great heart and sparkling personality. Oh, how he missed her. "The queen has her locked up somewhere. Locked up just to slowly kill me. And I know only one person who can return our happy endings, no?"

"I don't think I can just find people. People you couldn't identify even if you wanted to." Emma knew he had a rebuttal by the glimmer of hope in his eyes.

"I could. And Regina has her, somewhere in Storybrooke I know."

"And if she's left I'm the only one who can get her." Emma finished the thought.

"Wrongo, dearie." He smirked as his hand hit her stomach. She shrugged it away. "The kid here is keeping you with us."

"That makes no sense!" She exclaimed, her hand rushing to her stomach as if wiping the Rumplestiltkin off her short. "I can leave, but now I can't!"

"The baby's daddy would certainly know that someone from Storybrooke..."

"Never leaves Storybrooke. I get it." Then Mary Margaret walked in. "Well, I'll try to help you Rumple."

"Rumple?" Mary Margaret asked dumbly.

"Well I'll leave you two lovely ladies." Rumple lowered his head and walked out.

"I swear, the people of this town are off their rockers." So Mary Margaret and Emma walked home and left the vacant sheriff station without any more words on the matter.

...later, at home, the two get some visitors...

Leroy escorted Henry into the apartment with hardly a word, until Emma addressed him. "Leroy, I haven't seen you in a while now."

"You don't come to the bar at Granny's anymore." He acknowledged the presence of her unborn child with a slight nod. "Though I see why."

"I was mostly referring to you haven't been locked up in a while." She added, Henry chuckling in the background while he hugged his favorite elementary school teacher.

"Henry, I haven't seen you in a while!" Mary Margaret squealed, anxiously returning the boy's happy hug. To her Henry Mills (technically Swan, she supposed) was family, he was like the son she never had. "Where have you been?"

"Oh, I was getting over laryngitis." He explained with a stifle of a cough. "My mom wouldn't let me get out of bed, much less go to school."

"I'm glad you're better kiddo." Emma smiled at her son as he ran to hug her as well.

"I got something for my sister." Henry stated and pulled a box from behind his back. It was wrapped in newspaper comics, like the Sunday comics, not the daily black-and-white thingamajigs. Henry and Emma sat on the couch, Mary Margaret sitting at Emma's side. Leroy sat on one of the dining room table chairs that Mary Margaret slid into the living room.

Emma pulled off the wrapping paper and opened the box, revealing a dazzling blue unicorn mobile, sculpted from beautiful crystals. " Henry, how could you afford to pay for this!" Emma hugged her son so tightly she wondered if he was still breathing. Diamonds so finely cut they couldn't be forgotten, Mary Margaret thought, knowing she had seen this somewhere before.

"Diamonds from the dwarf mines." Leroy added, remembering it all: the axe, Nova, Snow's potion, and little baby Emma who would come back to destroy the curse cast on her parents. "Each of us dwarfs made a gift for you, little princess." Leroy-no, Grumpy- explained. "Sleepy and Bashful made your crib, Happy and Dopey teamed up to make beautiful toys so you could be oh so happy. Sneezy and I, however, wanted to make you something truly unique, something only a dwarf could make: that mobile." He gestured to one diamond unicorn. "Nothing can break a diamond, that is, other than a dwarf's axe. And you, little princess, had a flock of unicorns... diamond unicorns at your fingertips. Oh yeah, and Doc made you a beautiful blanket." Emma pondered for a moment.

"A blanket?" She remembered the baby blanket she was found in, abandoned on the side of the road.

"Cream with purple details, I remember it well. Your mother" he glanced at Mary Margaret. "always liked that color."

"Say..." Henry had another genius plan. "If Doc made my mom's blanket, could he make one for the baby?"

"If we can find him, I'll be sure to ask." Grumpy nodded.

"And I think I know just where to look..."

*Where to look? What to name? Who will wake up next? Will Kathryn resurface? Will this Sunday's episode help us AT ALL? Review love!*


	11. Chapter 11

*I name him Ralph. Doc's name is Ralph. And we meet him today. Whoopee!

But before we begin I have a funny unrelated story to tell. And since no one really reads authors notes I say I'm in the clear. Well I'm writing a movie in DM, and we're studying film. I am writing a movie based on the original Grimm's fairy tales, and my teacher wants me to answer one question: what's my favorite movie? The room gets all quiet, and my voice cracks as I say the title. Toast. Everyone laughs and my teacher leaves while he laughs in the sound room. Embarrassment for the day: 87 percent.*

Yarn

Grumpy saw him from a mile away. "Doc!" He shouted. But the man didn't turn around. That is, until he grabbed his shoulder.

"What's your problem, sir?" The dwarf answered. "I'm Ralph." He offered his hand to shake for Grumpy.

"Oh right. Ralph." He shook his hand firmly. "What do you do for a living Do-Ralph?"

"Oh, I sell furniture." Ralph said quietly as they walked down the street. "Sometimes I make pillows, to go on chairs or beds or couches. But that's about it." Grumpy then realized he was walking to his furniture store while following him. "Buying something?"

"Maybe, princess-I mean Sheriff- Emma is having a baby, Sno-Mary Margaret and I are trying to surprise her with setting up the nursery."

"Well what do you need?" Ralph asked as they went through the door.

"We need to still get a crib, the only piece we actually have is this unicorn mobile Henry Mills got her..." He showed Ralph the picture of the mobile hoping to spark some sort of memory in him.

"I've seen it before..." Grumpy's eyes lit up with glee. "in Mr. Gold's shop." And all his hope sank back down.

"Yes, well, we also have something of Emma's we need to recreate, if you can." Grumpy held up Emma's baby blanket he borrowed. "Do you think you could make something like this?"

"I've never made a baby blanket. But go ask Granny, she made one for Alexandra and I heard its beautiful." Ralph smiled curiously.

"No, this blanket wasn't made like one of Granny's, I've seen them. This one was made finely out of cream yarn, with the name stitched in purple." Grumpy explained quietly. "Granny's was gray, it was knit instead of crocheted, and the stitching was a round the blanket trim and no name. Just an 'a' very differently done from Emma's."

"You sure know a lot about that kind of stuff." If Ralph could be impressed, he just was.

"I learned from the best."

"Why don't you make her kid's blanket, instead of me?" Ralph questioned, Grumpy shrugged.

"I figured you're the kind of level headed guy, who secretly loves a challenge." Grumpy saw Ralph's face turn quickly to a smile as he ran his hand down the blanket, smiling at this memory he had. It was HER blanket. "Now I'd be willing to pay you fifty dollars for the trouble..."

"No no, it's fine." Ralph, no Doc, grinned devilishly. "Grumpy." Grumpy looked both dazed and confused. "You always were one to bargain for what you wanted. And the blanket was a great gift for our queen. And her princess."

"And this time it's the grand-princess." He explained to his newly awakened friend. "Where are the others?"

"Well, Sleepy and Bashful are across the street at Granny's every Thursday afternoon. Their names here are Joey and Mitch. I knew I had seen them somewhere. And the others... I've never seen them."

Leroy looked at the calendar on the wall to find the date. "It's Thursday, and it's noon. We can beat them there, get them on our side."

"It's worth a shot."

...later, Emma finds the two at Granny's...

"Leroy!" She shrieked. Grumpy tipped his head to her.

"Little princess." He said, then looked down at her stomach. "Even littler princess."

Doc smiled at Emma and then looked to Grumpy. "Are you not going to introduce me to this lovely lady?"

"Emma." She answered. "And you're Ralph, from the furniture store right?"

He hung his head. "I prefer Doc, if you will."

"He's the guy that made your blanket, little princess." Grumpy explained quietly as Red walked by.

"Grumpy! Doc!" She squealed. "Last time I saw you two together was with Snow!" Red whispered into Doc's ear. "The others come in in an hour." Then she turned to address Emma. "How is Snow?"

"Ummm... she's fine." She could play along. "At home with Henry, David should be coming by later."

"And Snow's granddaughter?" Red put her hand on Emma's stomach gingerly feeling the baby's feet flutter under her hand.

"A fighter, and energetic." Emma sighed. Red stood and straightened herself out.

"No more than her mother. And grandmother, for that matter." Red smiled. Doc and Grumpy turned to her. "So what can I get for you two."

"Two hot chocolates... with cinnamon." Doc seemed to be asking more than ordering.

"And one for her highness." Grumpy gestured to Emma. This friendship was going to be the best.

*And that's it for a while! Happy Easter, and have a great (my) spring break!*


	12. Chapter 12

*I love all the feedback I'm getting! I was reluctant at first, I thought the story was going to fail, but you guys are reading and I'm doing SOMETHING right, or else you guys wouldn't be! Thanks and read on!*

Princess

"No can do, princess." Grumpy smirked. "Letting you back in that shop is a bad idea. He may be a half decent guy here, but he's still the same man he was then."

"I made a deal with him, to help him with a problem he's having with Regina." Emma kept walking though Grumpy followed closely behind her.

"I won't let you." He jumped in front of her.

"Who's going to stop me? It's just a favor." She explained. "He lost someone, I need to bring her back."

"But you've got your baby to think about." Grumpy complained. "Remember why he got in trouble the first time?"

"Taking an infant. Yeah, I know, I've read Henry's book forward and back now." It was funny, when she got here she didn't want anything to do with that book. But now she was all into it. Henry lent it to her and she read bits and pieces, and he suggested parts to read to the baby. Parts about Snow White and the Huntsman, and about Prince Charming and Snow White. Honestly, she thought she enjoyed the stories more than he did. It was like reading what could be her history. "Look, he's not in it for that."

"That's what your mother thought, too, and she gave him your name. He can read you like a book because of her mistake." Grumpy scoffed. "Snow was a great princess, a great friend too, but logical wasn't always her strong point. The one thing I can say about her, though, is that she and James loved you very very much."

"He lost someone he loved, I lost someone too. We're a perfect match." Emma said sarcastically as she stood in front of Mr. Gold's shop.

"He's taking advantage of you, kid." Grumpy scowled as Rumplestiltkin appeared in the doorway.

"Emma, are we ready to go?" Rumple asked quietly.

"I'm going with you two." Grumpy interjected. Emma looked at him as though he was crazy.

"Leroy, how nice for you to tag along on our search for her."

"You know my name, Rumple, use it." Grumpy complained.

"Yes, well, Grumpy then." Rumple gave a devilish grin. "We're looking for Belle. My dearest Belle." His hand went to his heart.

"The brunette girl I met in the bar that one day? She was the one who told me to go to Firefly Hill with Nova! She spoke all sorts of love nonsense, but it helped me in the long run. It made me who I am." Grumpy pointed at Rumplestiltkin. "How do YOU know her?"

"I'm the man who loved her." Rumple sighed. "Any ideas Grumpy?"

"Well if I didn't want someone to be found I'd lock them in a basement."

...later, they wander down a hall in the hospital...

"Where's the mental ward?" Emma asked the nurse at the desk.

"Checking yourself in?" The nurse asked politely. Emma scowled.

"Looking for a missing person." Emma explained. "So where is it, and who's in it?"

"Mayor Mills is the only one allowed to see our patient." The nurse explained. "Sorry, honey, but your investigation belongs elsewhere."

"You really DON'T want to say that..." Emma read the woman's name tag. "Andrea." Emma said. "I'm sheriff, remember? Not allowing me to do my search, you could be arrested..."

"There's one person with power over you, the mayor, both your and my employer, and the contact for Erica White. Besides you don't even have your badge, and I'm not scared a bit." Andrea spat back.

"Now I hope this nurse isn't HARASSING the sheriff, is she?" Rumple replied. "We've not come to cause any problems missy, just to find someone."

"Right this way, Mr. Gold... and company." Andrea glared at Emma as they continued down the hall in the basement. Another nurse stood in front of the door. "They're here to see Erica."

"Regina'll be pissed to see you brought them down here, know that?" The other nurse hissed.

"I'd rather lose my job than spend a night in jail." They let the three into a concrete room, a box rather, as it had no windows and only the one gray door. Sitting on a little shelf by the fluorescent light bulbs in the ceiling was a thin pale brunette, wearing a gray dress.

"Can I help you three?" Belle asked, her voice hoarse. She hadn't spoken to anyone in a while, other than screaming when Regina spoke to her through the door.

"Belle!" Rumple jumped for joy seeing her. She looked down at him, leaning so far forward she fell. He was quick to catch her.

"She thought I was crazy when I called myself that." Belle answered, releasing herself from Rumple's arms. "The queen did."

"How long have you known who you were? So many people are still... in a daze." Rumple kissed her cheek.

"I've always known. Regina told me my name was Erica, I knew it was a lie. That's how I ended up here. She was taking MY happy ending."

"Now we just have to steal her's." Grumpy smirked. "Am I right?"

...the four decide to steal away to Granny's, where they run into some people they hoped to find...

"Hey Grumpy!" Five little men chimed. Doc stood behind them proudly. Red smiled at the sight of the seven dwarfs coming together again at long last, Granny kept with her knitting behind the diner counter. Belle and Rumplestiltkin shared a cherry Coke with two straws, Emma had a nice mug of hot chocolate (not forgetting the cinnamon in the recipe, may I add), and Grumpy was drinking... well who knows what he was drinking anyways?

"What can I interest you men in today?" Red asked hospitably, remembering her waitress side for a while.

"Nothing, we just came to our little party here." Doc said, then he turned to Grumpy. "I found them, all of them. Chopping trees by the bridge. So I kinda tricked them into whistling, and surprisingly that worked."

"So the queen was the book..." Rumple started. "And Belle always remembered, Henry and Prince Charming reminded me..."

"Seeing Emma reminded me and Granny." Red commented. Granny nodded.

"It was the mobile that got me..." Grumpy implied. "And Emma's blanket got Doc..."

"And whistling got the rest of the dwarfs?" Belle asked. "So just small things get the best of us?" Rumple smiled at her. "That's messed up on many levels."

"We're all that we have, though, and we're a good start." Rumple smiled back at Belle, then looked to Emma. "And we've got limited time to get everyone else back."

"Jiminy's on our side too." Red pointed out. "So that leaves Ella and her Prince, Snow, and James. Am I missing anyone?"

"Nova... her name's Astrid here, and you can leave her to me." Grumpy said. "Her and the blue fairy."

"Gepetto, but he works with me. I'll take initiative on that project." Doc grinned.

"Ella and her family will be my task, I see them most." Red rose her hand as she said this.

"And you, dearie, have to get your parents back." Rumple looked at Emma with a creepy smile strapped to his face.

"This is one of the oddest tasks I've been given." But Emma had to admit, she had never been in the presence of fairy tale characters before.

*Its spring break, which means I can write more often! So please keep reviewing!*


	13. Chapter 13

*Just kinda chilling, wishing there was a new Once Upon A Time this week. But there's not. So I write a grand intervention and a ball!

Yep, I know its moving quickly. But it'll slow down.

Review please!. So here goes another wild chapter!*

Masquerade

"Everyone is cordially invited to Emma Swan's birthday ball this coming weekend, and it doubles as a baby shower." Red announced at one of those Monday afternoon meet-ups. "So wear your best, wear a mask and bring something special for the town's newest bundle of joy."

Ashley sat at a booth that August afternoon, bouncing the almost year old Alexandra on her knee. "I'll be there, Ruby, I've always wanted to go to a ball!" The glee in her voice rose tremendously.

"I figured you would." Red smiled, remembering Snow's fond stories of Ella. It was almost funny that she used to just hear about Ella, now she was one of her best friends.

The stranger sat sipping his coffee as they spoke. He then looked to Red. "So you're Little Red Riding Hood." He asked quietly. "With the little basket."

"Do I look little to you?" She returned, a little sharper than he'd hoped. "It's just Red Riding Hood, no need for little." He nodded his head in reply and put his mug down on the table.

"Understood completely." He said. "And how's Granny?"

Granny rolled her eyes as she walked into the kitchen. "I can speak for myself, sir, no need to ask my granddaughter about me." He scowled, not expecting that answer. "Now, mister, I figure it's a good idea you leave. We have ball planning with the dwarfs and Belle in a few hours."

"Alrighty then." He stood and collected his papers that he had scattered on the table, tipped his head to her and said quietly to Ashley. "Goodbye, your highness."

"What the hell was that about?"

...later, the dwarfs and Belle meet up with Red and Granny...

"Now since this is really supposed to get people..." Belle seemed to be the spokesperson for the event, seeing as both the dwarfs and Red trusted her. Granny kept to her knitting. "The question is what happened at these balls?"

"You never went to a ball, sister?" Grumpy asked, she shook her head. "Man, and I thought I hadn't done much."

"Anywho..." Belle continued. "The better question is what we do that will remind everyone."

"If only Snow was here." Red mused, leaning on the counter. "Snowy's actually been to a ball. Several, actually."

"But the princess is so stubborn." Doc complained. "She thinks you and Grumpy are crazy." He saw a questioning look come from Belle. "Sometimes I even think I'M crazy."

"It's one thing to think you're crazy yourself, try having someone... a practical stranger... tell you that you're crazy." Belle spat back. "And trust me, friend, you're in no way crazy."

"Back to the ball, crazy is a rough topic." Grumpy scoffed. "I want to choose the music."

"What? Why?" Granny, who had been listening in but remaining mute, asked. "Red and Belle... you should be worrying about who's coming, keeping Regina and Rumplestiltkin out."

"Rumple?" Belle replied quietly. "Why on earth would we keep him out? He came up with this whole charade anyways!"

"I want one dance with Nova, I'm sure you guys can grant me that." Grumpy added half sweetly, returning to the original topic. "And I know just the song for that dance."

"Maybe she can make you Dreamy again." Sleepy said hopefully.

"Probably can't, but I DO want to see her be a fairy godmother."

...that weekend, Emma and Mary Margaret get ready for the ball...

"This is ridiculous!" Emma said as she slid herself into her purple dress. Mary Margaret watched coolly, as she was already ready for the fancy occasion, wearing a flawless white gown and these exquisite golden shoes. Emma saw how happy she looked dressed so formally, and how uncomfortable she was in this monkey suit. Maybe, just maybe, Grumpy and Rumple and Red were all right. If anyone were a princess, it would be Mary Margaret.

"Parties are good, Emma, it's the first one we've had in a while." Mary Margaret explained quietly. "Even our Miners Day turnout is low. Everyone in the town is coming to this ball!"

"I'd rather be at home, have you and Henry over. Eat cake." Emma had never shown symptoms of being a homebody, but she liked this so-called family she had for herself. "Dragging the whole town out of there homes for me... I'm pretty sure for every one friend I have here I have two enemies."

"That can't be true, Emma, and you know it." Mary Margaret's usually soothing voice was filled with scorn. It then softened, and she spoke sweetly to her roommate. "Look at you. You've got Ruby dressing like a decent human being instead of a hooker..." Emma thought of Red Riding Hood fondly. "And Leroy is being a social being..." This dwarf called Grumpy really took pride in Emma. "You and Mr. Gold clearly cleared things up..." I did a favor for Rumplestiltkin, Emma thought.

"And there's still Regina." Emma finished. "There's no way I can fix that."

"Stranger things have happened." Mary Margaret motioned for Emma to spin around, which she did. "You look absolutely stunning, dear."

This took Emma by surprise. "Dear?" Mary Margaret pushed her hand to her forehead.

"Sorry, Emma, I didn't mean..." Emma just chuckled a little. "You've become like a sister to me."

Or like my daughter who I'm finally seeing grow up.

...the ball is going just as planned, and Ashley and Sean go up to visit with Emma...

Alexandra was in Ashley's arms, gurgling at Emma as her parents tried to speak. "Emma, we can't tell you how thankful we are for you bringing Alexandra to us." Sean said quietly, putting his hand on her shoulder. "I can't imagine life if Mr. Gold had gotten away with her."

"No child deserves to grow up without its parents." Emma told him, and Ashley smiled.

"You fixed my life, Emma, I'm grateful for that." Ashley smiled, and passed Alexandra to her. Emma held the baby close to her and hoped that her baby would love her as much as Alexandra loved Ashley.

"I did nothing." Emma explained to Ashley. "You took your own life and put it back in your own hands."

"Wise advice." Sean said to her, as Ashley looked pensively into the distance. To Mary Margaret. To Snow White. Then she looked back at Emma.

"Your mother must've taught you that." Ella told Emma as she took back Alexandra.

"I... don't remember who taught me that." Emma said awkwardly.

"Snow told me that, at my wedding. Before we could dance, before I could stare at the other happy royal couple." Ella smiled and grabbed Sean's arm. He had heard this too.

"I remember." Sean, or as he was Thomas, replied. "James and Snow... they came. They congratulated us, although we couldn't come to their big day. And they told us only days later about their upcoming joy... you." He smiled at Emma. "You."

"Snow, you must be so proud." Mary Margaret was growing used to being Snow, and she didn't think she liked it. "Such a pretty daughter, and a granddaughter on he way!" Ella smiled at her distantly, Mary Margaret just stared.

"I have no kids!" She stammered to remind her. "Emma's my roommate, NOT my daughter, and I'm not this Snow everyone talks about. I'm Mary! Mary Margaret Blanchard damn it!" And Mary Margaret stormed away. Thomas put his hand on Emma's shoulder as she stood to follow the woman.

"We will reel her in, I promise you, princess."

*Long chapter! It deserves some extra reviews!*


	14. Chapter 14

*So just for a recap.

Awake (in order): Evil Queen, Red Riding Hood, Granny, Rumplestiltkin, Jiminy Cricket, Grumpy, Doc, Belle, Sleepy, Dopey, Bashful, Happy, Sneezy, Ella, and Thomas.

Basic information (you should already know): Mary Margaret is Snow White and David is Prince James aka Charming. Emma is their daughter, and she is in Storybrooke because of her son Henry who was adopted by Regina. Emma is pregnant with Sheriff Graham's baby, and it's causing people to come back. Got it? Then let's move on to the story.*

All Yours

She had a family.

It wasn't a conventional family, by any means. But she had a family. A step-grandmother. A mom. A dad. A son. And apparently a daughter.

She believed her mother was her roommate. The woman who had faith in her, completely and totally. Mary Margaret was fair, she could believe her fairest of them all. She did have that beautiful quality to her, Emma admitted. That was the beauty Emma was always envious of.

That made her father David, she supposed. She detested her father in that case. Perhaps for the ass he proved himself to be. But didn't all girls think of their father in this sense at one point?

She watched Mary Margaret and David dance at her birthday ball. They danced so fluidly, a yin-yang of fabric on the grassy field. Her father's black suit with the red tie, her mother's white dress. They looked like a married couple. No, they looked like more than that. They really did look like her parents.

Henry was there too. He didn't come to the ball to hang out with the other children, who were dressed by their parents and forced to come. He came in a gray sear sucker suit and immediately came to talk to Emma. His mom. This was her son, the only family she had ever had.

She saw her daughter in her head. She was as pretty as Alexandra, and she was as sweet as Henry. She had her father's eyes and her hair, she was so pretty. And there was no denying her that pleasure.

Regina came up to Emma wearing a black floor length ball gown. Black suited her well, thought the princess, no wonder she was the "evil queen". Emma looked at her curiously. "What can I do for you Madame Mayor?"

"I just came to give you a gift, dear." Regina smiled at her superficially. In her hands were a large box.

"Really now?" Emma asked, wondering what on earth the wicked woman had for her. "Why?"

"Well, I realize that giving up Henry must've been hard for you, and that him seeing you around your darling baby will be hard on him, I just want to make things easier." Emma opened the box, and inside it were two plane tickets back to Boston.

"Plane tickets?" Emma wondered aloud. "Regina, I have a car. This kid isn't going to make me leave." She's going to make me stay close to my family.

"That's a poor choice for words." Regina warned. "I'm just looking out for Henry, and for your child."

"You're not looking out for anyone but yourself!" Emma roared. "If you cared about Henry you wouldn't make me leave! If you wanted to do what's best for him, you wouldn't have told me to go away all these times! And you should know better than anyone that a resident of Storybrooke can't leave, seeing as that's all your fault!" Regina seemed to be taken back. "I know just who you are, your an evil witch! You're the evil queen!"

"That's a little harsh, dear." Regina stated with a little chuckle. She walked up to Emma calmly as Emma stood, and her fist ran directly into Emma's cheek.

"Bitch!" Emma screamed, and David ran from Mary Margaret's side over to Emma.

"Keep your hands off my daughter!" David... no, he was more than David now. He was James. And he just told off his step-mother-in-law.

"This just a warning, James. You and your wife and this family. Remember, the only happy ending WILL be mine." Regina left, grabbing Henry by the collar as they went. James hugged Emma very tightly and seemed to never let her go.

"You found us, baby girl, you really did." He whispered into her ear. "And I have never been more proud of anyone, Emma, we missed you so much."

"I love you, daddy." Emma whispered in return, like a little child.

"I love you too, Emma, and I'm glad you found us."

*Well it was a short chapter, just because I needed a break. And next chapter we will meet Emma's baby, and I need a middle name for this kid if you guys will please help! Thanks as always LML.*


	15. Chapter 15

*Mistakes I'm going to clear up:

1. Emma's birthday (in this story) is in August. The baby is due around the beginning of September.

2. Her deputy at the station is Grumpy, which I failed to mention earlier. It just seemed like a fairly good plan, sorry if it's not.

3. The only person who is not awake is Mary Margaret.

4. Regina directed the "happy ending" bit at James, NOT EMMA.

Thank you to fictionfrek101 again for helping fix some of these errors and The Girl In The Pointe Shoes and miley-avril for the name. And please continue to the story!*

Juliet Hope Swan

The baby was everything Emma had hoped for. She was strong and healthy when she was born. James and Mary Margaret and Henry were all there to welcome the little girl. Doc had made an exquisite blanket for the child using purple yarn and stitched in cream was her name.

Juliet.

...flashback, two months earlier, in July...

"So, princess," Grumpy started as she collected some of her things from the office. "what do you intend to do with all that free time?"

"I don't know. I might learn how to knit." Emma joked quietly to her new deputy. "That is if you handle everything right around here and don't burn the place down."

"I can handle things here on my own, princess, you need to take care of yourself." Grumpy warned her. "Keep a weary eye for the queen, and don't make any deals with Rumplestiltkin."

"We've got things fixed now, now that his life's reassembled, remember?" Emma scoffed. "He and Belle just seem so happy together."

"You think they're happy?" Grumpy chuckled. "Should've seen your parents."

"No thanks." Emma held out her hands in front of her and shook them at him, as if telling him to quit. "With strangers it's cool, but with my parents is a different story..."

"Well you're missing out on a great story, princess." He said as she started to exit the room.

"Then tell me just a little bit..."

...end flashback...

Mary Margaret held her roommate's baby in her arms, cradling her in the blanket Doc made for the child. How similar it was to Emma's, thought she. Maybe he could pick up on a pattern quite well.

"May I see my baby sister?" Henry asked quietly as he walked into the living room of their apartment. He was accompanied by James.

"Of course, Henry." Mary Margaret smiled at the boy. The child had been so happy about his mom's baby, she didn't know what to do with him. This was more than just another baby to him. This was his family.

She got Henry to sit down, and sat down beside him. "Hi, Juliet, I'm your older brother." Henry said softly as he touched one of Juliet's little hands. "You're going to love it here in Storybrooke, Juliet, everyone here certainly loves you."

...flashback, school getting out in June...

"Ms. Blanchard!" Henry squealed as he ran after his teacher. "Wait up!"

She spun around to Henry. "Henry." She breathed. "Are you coming to see Emma?"

"Yup, but I wanted to talk to you too." He trailed behind the elementary school teacher closely, book in his clutch. "Ms. Blanchard, if you had a daughter, what would you name her?"

"Where's that question coming from?" Mary Margaret chuckled then thought on the subject. Up until she met Emma, she had always thought of having a daughter with that name. But now that she knew an Emma... "Hope."

"Hope?" Henry asked.

"Hope is the greatest gift of all." Mary Margaret grinned at the curious boy. "Now come on, I'll take you to get something at Granny's then we will go get Emma."

...end flashback...

"Hey kiddo..." Emma whispered as Henry walked in the week after Juliet was born. "You seen her yet?" She asked as he sat on the bed beside her. It was the first time she had ever seen Henry smile that brightly.

"Ms. Blanchard had her." Henry said quietly. "Her grandparents sure love her a lot." Emma saw a frown pierce Henry's lip.

"What's wrong?" She asked quietly as the boy sat down beside her.

"Oh, nothing." Emma raised an eyebrow, knowing he would answer her eventually. "Do you think Grandma will love me like she does Juliet?"

"Henry, she always has loved you. And she and Juliet will have a different relationship." Henry hung his head. "But that doesn't mean that she can't love you. You'll always be her first grandson."

"You really think so?" Henry asked hopefully, seeing James walk to his daughter's side.

"Snow would've loved you so SO much, Henry, don't ever question that." James said reassuringly. "My baby girl, and her two kids. I never thought I'd see this day come." You could almost see tears in James's eyes as he bent down to kiss his daughter on the forehead.

"For the record, you thought you'd never see her again." Henry corrected ruining the perfect moment. James looked up and scowled.

"Sorry, who wrote your book exactly?"

...flashback, James and Mary Margaret walked along the side of the road from Granny's, February...

"You never tell Kathryn you're walking with me, you just say you're going for a walk." Mary Margaret complained. "I can't stand being a secret."

"Can we discuss this later? If I wanted someone to lecture me I wouldn't have left Kathryn." David, as he was, explained. Then he looked at the sky. White flakes were falling from it, looking more like feathers than snowflakes. "Snow." He breathed.

She looked at the sky then at him. "I haven't seen snow since I was a little girl. Fluffy, white snow."

"Snow is such an interesting word, you know?" David mused. "It just rolls off my tongue, like it's so familiar. Yet we never get snow here."

"It's weird, the only snow I hear about is Snow White from Henry when he comes to visit me and Emma." Mary Margaret laughed. "I think he's trying to trick Emma into naming the baby Snow White or something."

"There are weirder plans."

*I'll cut it there. It's been forever and I know, even though it hasn't even been a week... no new episode and you guys need a treat! Review please, hopes for a hundred at some point?*


	16. Chapter 16

*New chapter: woohoo!

Thank you, dear reviewers, for doing what you do best. We get to see more Juliet, more attempted Snow awakenings, and more Emma and Henry and James. Let's drop Regina for a while. No one wants her here.

Thanks!*

Meet the Godparents

"See you after work, Mary." Emma said, carrying the two-week-old Juliet in her arms, as Mary Margaret started out the door and to work.

"Where are you going in such a rush?" Mary Margaret asked, seeing how quickly Emma was pulling on her jacket and starting out the door with her young daughter wearing her cute pink outfit James got her.

"Granny's... meeting David and Ruby and Leroy..." Or Grumpy, Red, and Daddy! she thought. "having breakfast."

"Really?" Mary Margaret wondered. "Last time I checked, you told me you hated David and there was no place in the world for us."

"Oh, you know..." Emma started. "I wasn't thinking. I was thinking about Graham and Juliet and not a whole bunch about your David problem. I spoke my mind. But now I know him." Emma would admit, of course, that in the beginning she despised David. James. Her father. He wasn't a pleasant person when he was around his wife. Kathryn. Abigail. Double lives sure were messy.

"Okay then, Emma." Mary Margaret looked at the baby who stared back at her. "You two have fun." She cooed at Juliet, no longer talking to Emma quite clearly. "Oh... and Henry might be coming home with me after school. He's helping me with a project."

Emma waved and exited without another word.

...later, at Granny's...

Red, Grumpy, and James sat at the bar. Business was slow. Ella and Thomas sat at a booth, Rumple and Belle were enjoying their food. And everyone was waiting for Emma.

Emma walked in, hoping to find her little party sitting together in the back. She was surprised to find them all sitting up front in clear sight. It wasn't like them to do something that self explanatory. "Um... hey!" She said cautiously, seeing Granny appear behind the counter.

"So there's the little princess." Granny gushed, aiming her pointed finger at Juliet. "I swear, Snow and Red made me feel old, you made me feel older, and now this one makes me feel older than dirt." Emma smiled, taking that more as a compliment than it probably was. "What's her name?"

"Juliet." James announced as his daughter and granddaughter sat with him. "Juliet Hope Swan."

"Pretty." Red commented. "I'm sure Graham would've loved it."

"I'm sure he would have..."

...flashback, one late December night at the sheriff's station...

"Love is a tragedy." Emma said, kicking her feet up on Graham's desk as they sat in the silence of the empty prison. Graham sat on the other side of his desk, listening to her as he enjoyed a sip of his half finished coffee.

"How so?" He asked in return, lowering his cup from his lip.

"It's a figment of someone's imagination. If you're so infatuated with something, you tell yourself you love it and that you can't live without it. It always ends up getting someone hurt."

"So you're telling me you didn't love Henry's father?" Graham asked a very personal question, she pursed her lip reaching across the desk for her coffee, which was beside Graham's.

"Do you think I just pull theories out of a hat?" Emma chuckled. "Of course I THOUGHT I loved Henry's father, he just didn't love me as much as I hoped he would." She sipped her barely warm coffee before he spoke again.

"Everyone's loved by someone, Emma." Graham smiled at his skeptical deputy. "Friends, family, or lovers."

"No friends, no family to love me. No one loving me at this day and age." Emma dropped her feet from the desk and scooted back in her chair.

"People say that all the time." Graham scoffed, but returned sweetly. "Only the nonbelievers are the non-pursued."

"Or they've died under the cruel, cruel hand of love." Emma's mind turned to memories of Henry's father. She winced, hoping to clear her mind.

"That's only in Romeo and Juliet, I believe there's hope for any modern couple now." Emma rolled her eyes as Graham pushed a wisp of blonde hair out of her face and tucked it behind her ear. "Wouldn't you agree?"

...end flashback...

James held his granddaughter carefully cradled in her arms, smiling down at the little baby. She looked just like Emma. "Honey, I'm so happy for you and your family." He mused, looking up with a grin to Emma.

"Too bad Henry doesn't live with you though, Em." Red thought aloud. "He would love to spend more time with his baby sister and mom, I'm sure."

Emma nodded stiffly in agreement, Grumpy walked over to James almost sneakily. "Can I hold the little princess?" James looked at him with a glimmer in his eye and a chuckle. "What! I missed holding my goddaughter." He exclaimed, the baby seeming to gurgle in reply.

"GRUMPY was my godfather?" Emma asked loudly, punching James playfully in the shoulder when Juliet was safely in Grumpy's arms. "Who was my godmother?"

"You had two." Red said quietly, sipping her coke as she spoke. "Me and Ella."

"Well, Grumpy, meet your OTHER goddaughter." Emma pointed at Juliet, making a very happy Grumpy. "And Red..."

"Hang on... I have a brilliant plan..." Grumpy passed Emma back Juliet and rushed out the door.

...Grumpy goes to visit the nuns...

"Astrid?" Grumpy asked as he saw the two nuns he was looking for. "Can we talk for a moment?"

"Of course." Grumpy led her by the hand out of the room. "Leroy, what's wrong?" Astrid asked quietly.

"Nothing's wrong... but I do need your help with something." She raised an eyebrow.

"Like what?"

"Sheriff Swan had her baby a couple weeks ago, named Juliet. And I need your help, since I'm her godfather." He hinted, but she didn't catch it.

"Like a babysitter?"

"No no, like a godmother."

Astrid's eyes lit up as she seemed to put two and two together, giving Grumpy an enormous hug. "Like a fairy godmother!" She squealed, as a once-Astrid became Nova. "I have to go tell the blue fairy!"

"Second part of my plan." Grumpy stepped in front of her as they walked back into the room. "Hey, sister, what do you say to being a godmother?"

Mother Superior looked at Nova and Grumpy. "To whom?"

"I'm the wonderful fairy godmother to Juliet Swan!" Nova spun around in ditsy glee, Grumpy watching in awe. Mother Superior shifted in her seat, rolling her eyes.

"Sorry, honey, don't even think you're ready to do basic routes to the mines yet." Mother Superior- the fabulous Blue Fairy- spat, peering into Nova's young soul. "Or have you found your own dwarf?"

Nova giggled like a school girl. "Mhmmm."

"Well that was fun." Grumpy sighed as he walked to the door. "We're having a town meeting in a few minutes at Granny's if you guys want to come."

"We will be there, Dreamy." She bent down to give Grumpy a kiss on the cheek. And- for the first time in a long time- he wasn't grumpy anymore.

*Town meeting next chapter :) Review please! I only got three reviews last time, I'd really like some help!*


	17. Chapter 17

*Hey there.

I you're reading this- and I realize some people are still- please review. I love to hear a few words from you guys, anything from a good old "hey" or "good job" to "this is what you could do better". So that's all I have to say.

We have a town meeting, don't we? Let's go to it!*

Everything I Wanted

Red was trying to lead the meeting, proving to her disapproving grandmother in the back corner of the diner. Grumpy sat with Nova's hand entwined with his, side by side in the front row. The Blue Fairy sat on Nova's other side, watching the two with her occasional curious glances. Rumple sat beside Belle, not acting quite as amorous as they had before in one of these meetings. Sitting in the middle of a mound of chairs. Jiminy Cricket sat beside Granny in the back. The dwarfs sat filling up an entire row, there were six chairs in a row and four or five rows. James shared the second to last row with his daughter and his two beautiful grandchildren. "I now call this meeting into session." Red said loudly, quieting the small talk the rest of the room had started. "First order of business, welcome to Nova and the Blue Fairy!" Applause was made, quietly. Grumpy turned around and glared at his brothers, who then clapped louder. "And welcome to our newest Storybrooke resident-and princess- Juliet Swan!" Muted crowd cheers were made, as not to wake the quiet sleeping baby. She woke up none the less, and let out a wail.

"Um... I'll be back." Emma said as she carried Juliet out of the little diner's back door. They continued to converse up until Emma calmed Juliet down and came back in.

The door swung open as she took her seat again. "I think you guys were missing people." The stranger stated, his arms wrapped around two necks: that of Abbigail, once known as Kathryn, and the other of...

"Jefferson!" Emma squealed. "What happened to you?"

"I got through the hat, Sheriff, how he got me out I don't know." The stranger grinned at Emma. "I got back my daughter Grace, too, only she is still a little dazed."

"And Abbigail?" James asked hopefully, looking at the woman he once upon a time called his wife.

"I thought about what you said and who you were with when you left me. And it all came rushing back." She smiled coyly at James. Emma looked at her father disgusted.

"Daddy!" She hit his arm playfully. "This meeting is about mom, stop flirting with the princess!"

"Frederick will be here soon anyhow." Abbigail sat beside James and smiled at him. "Don't worry, Emma, I'm not here for your... father at all." Man, it was weird! She was married to the sheriff's dad in their other life, and her dad just happened to be Prince James- her almost husband!

"We need to find a way to wake up Snow White." The stranger took Red's job of calling the shots. "Mary Margaret Blanchard, Emma's roommate and everyone's favorite teacher."

"August-" Emma started, staring at the man she thought she had found alliance in.

"I know one way to fix our problems. We take out a culprit in what brought you here." The stranger pointed his finger at none other than Rumplestiltkin, who looked at him with question. Yet surprisingly, it was Belle who spoke to his defense.

"He's a changed man." Belle added strongly, standing from her seat. As the stranger dropped his finger, she sat back to his side.

"You have no proof of that. He's in alliance with Regina- I can bet it."

"I am offended by your judgement, sir." Rumple said very loudly, nearly screaming. "I am in cohorts with this little princess, and mister Prince Charming. She helped me find my Belle, I helped keep Regina off their tail."

"Yet you created her awful curse." A gasp rang out from all around the room. "Why help us now?"

"I am the only one who knows how to break it." He added, twirling his cane around on the floor. "And it isn't as pretty as you may hope."

"Wait-" Emma mused, reaching towards Rumplestiltkin. "would it bring Graham back?" Henry looked up at his mom. James looked to his daughter with curiosity. "I lived all my life without my dad, I don't want Juliet to Sotheby's same if we can help it."

Henry's smile fell. "I'll only break it if you guys can convince Snow White." Rumple decided. "And I know what a hard nut she is to crack."

"Then we have to crack it, and I know just how." James said adamantly. "Meeting adjourned."

Everyone filed out quickly and happily. When it was just Emma, James, Juliet, and Henry; Emma finally asked her father a question. "How exactly will we do that?"

"I have no clue."

*How will we? Well, I know it was short but I'll work quicker at some point. Busy week, so review for double speed!*


	18. Chapter 18

*Okay well I went ahead and started this before the episode, because I wanted a good old flashback here. So enjoy, because The Return is where it's at!*

Turn Around

"If only you saw things like I do, Emma." Graham said loudly, looking up from the copy of the previous day's Daily Mirror. Emma sat in a cell, this time not locked up but rather just resting. "You have a good thing going."

"And what exactly is that?" She asked half coyly, sitting up on the bed as he walked into the open cell and him sinking down beside her.

"Henry." Graham told her quietly, as if Regina were standing behind them. "He loves you with no strings attached. He chose you over Regina."

"I made a kid choose between his mom and the new girl." She scoffed with a chuckle. "That's hardly a blessing."

"He's still your son, he remembers that fact." Graham added, putting his hand on her shoulder. "You're the first person to make Regina ever second guess herself."

"People should be quicker to stand up to themselves."

"It's hard to stand up when you're quivering with fear." He mused, running the backs of his hands. "Henry insists she's evil."

"She's the evil queen, you know." Graham raised an eyebrow. "Henry's theory, his fairy tale alternate lives thing."

"He's a smart, CREATIVE boy." Graham chuckled lightly. "He thinks you hung the moon."

"No, he doesn't." Emma scowled. "He things I'll be the town savior. And I'm no one's savior. Hell, I can't even save myself."

"Then you put on a great act for your son." Graham smiled. And his smile- in turn- brought Emma's smile back.

"I suppose I just want to give him his best chance." Emma explained, leaning onto Graham, his soft black tee shirt ruffling her blonde curls. Instinctively, his hands wrapped around her waist.

"You're giving him his best chance all right." Graham kissed her cheek softly, and they just sat there enjoying each other's company on the brisk November day.

...end flashback...

It had been one year since that grand day. She had little two month old Juliet wrapped in her arms, as though protecting her from all possible harm. And as long as Regina was alive there was harm bound to come. Emma knew this as a fact.

Henry and James were supposed to meet her at the new playground, as to why they chose this meeting place Emma was still clueless on that fact. Yet here she was, with a stroller in front of her and the child who resided there resting close to her mother's coat. "Glad you're here, honey." James said, giving his daughter a quick kiss on the forehead as his grandson followed closely behind him. "Juliet has gotten so big!"

"I can hardly believe she's the same baby!" Henry exclaimed, cooing over the child.

"I'm so happy to have the most gorgeous- and handsome- grandchildren in the world." James gushed as he took Juliet from her mother lovingly.

"I'm sure all grandparents say that." Emma added quietly.

"But not all of them can mean it." He said equally quiet, as though not to disturb the other children at the park. Hansel and Gretel were there with their father, Grace was there with Jefferson, and Ella and Thomas were taking Alexandra out (although she was hardly walking).

"Emma dear." Ella said, practically running over to see the Charmings. "I haven't seen you in a while, at our intervention meetings."

"Well Grumpy wrecked some of the things at the station, so I always have ears out to help him... and Juliet is taking all my time." Ella nodded as if agreeing. Henry pretended to understand.

"When Alexandra was born I couldn't leave her alone... even for ten minutes." Ella explained. "I didn't want anything to ever hurt her... and I didn't have anyone to threaten her."

Emma gulped, hardly thinking of what it meant. James piped up a few mere words. "Against us?"

"There has to be something up Regina's sleeves, she's been reclusive far too long." Ella warned. "We will keep a watchful eye out for her but..." Ella instantly shut up, and their heads turned straight around. To her.

"What the hell do you think you're doing!" She screamed. "David Nolan, what's wrong with you!" (And if you were betting it was Regina, man were you wrong.)

"Ummm... Mary Margaret I can explain..." James started, looking at the very angry woman standing behind them. "Try now, why don't you? She has two kids. You just got divorced. WE are in a relationship! And you're cheating with my best friend?" Mary Margaret started to laugh hysterically until tears started to drip down her face. "I was a fool to believe you could ever change!"

"Snow please..." James begged, and she turned around to answer to everyone's surprise. "What did you call me?" She asked, slightly more lovingly.

"Snow. Snow White." Emma said quietly. "My mother, Henry's and Juliet's grandmother."

"And my wife." James clarified.

"Mine and Red's best friends." Ella added again. "Alexandra's godmother."

"Friend of the dwarfs, confidant of magical beings." Henry explained. "Rumplestiltkin's favorite toy."

"And Queen Regina's well known enemy." The stranger seemed to come again from nowhere.

Mary Margaret smiled. "You guys must think I'm an idiot!" She exclaimed. "You expect me to buy all this?" She walked up to Emma and grinned falsely, James saw her face turn to a scowl. "I forgive you, Emma dear, but James..."

"James?" James asked loudly and accusingly. "Snow is it you?"

"Jig's up." Ella joked. "It's you, I can tell."

"What was the hint?" Snow smiled. "The 'dear' part or James?"

No one answered, they all just kind of laughed for a while. Finally the stranger said something. "We have a complete cast then."

"We're going home, Snow, back to how it should've been." James walked up and embraced his wife.

"Wait, we're not leaving without a show." Snow smiled cynically. "She brought us here, she tried to get me out, she's tried to make me suffer. Now the queen's going to remember why no one messes with the fairest of us all."

"Keep talking..." The stranger suggested. "you may be onto something."

"James:" he looked up at her happily. "we are getting remarried. And then the poor queen must die."

*MSC is now my most reviewed story ever! And I'd like to even grow the reviews so please review still!

If you haven't watched 1X19, go on and skip to the review.

Well I intended to add in the stranger as Baelfire, but he's not! I bet he's either Pinocchio or Henry from the future. Emma getting custody of Henry is also on my agenda, I will probably approach it differently. I don't know. But all's well here in little old Currituck, so review and make my day!*


	19. Chapter 19

*Well well well. What have we here? I think I see over 115 reviews, over 10,000 hits, and people telling me they love my story! So thank you thank you thank you, you all make checking my email much more pleasurable! And now about the story: everyone's awake. Emma's still saving. Henry's still trying to help fix things. Stranger's still strange. I am not sure who he is so he's just a stranger. They're going to find our favorite Dark One.*

No Amendments

Rumple sat at his desk in the pawn shop, cleaning off a few pieces of magical memorabilia. James, Snow, Emma, Henry, and Juliet (being pushed by her older brother in her stroller) made their way through the store door and directly into a conversation with Rumplestiltkin. "Well well well, what can I do for you?" He asked, pointing at Juliet rather than Snow or James, who he was looking at. Creeper status achieved, thought Emma.

"Apparently you all made a deal about me." Snow said strongly and loudly. This was the first time Emma had ever seen this fragile being she called her roommate become the headstrong stubborn woman she called her mother. "I'm here, now what can you do?"

"I can figure out how to get everyone home." He explained, returning his finger closer to his body. "Eventually."

"We made a deal, Rumplestiltkin." James added fiercely, reaching into his pocket as if drawing his sword from its sheath. In his pocket was a pocketknife. "No amendments."

"What, Charming, are you going to slaughter me with that pocketknife in front of your family?" James re-collapsed the small sharp blade and placed it back into his pocket. "Now what does the lady have to say?"

Snow looked from Emma to Henry then to James, then back to Rumplestiltkin. "Do you sell engagement rings?"

"Might have one." He said, smirking at James sadistically. "Will that work, dearie?" He held up a beautiful diamond on a gold band. She nodded as he handed it to James.

James tucked the jewelry box into his pocket. "James, honey, what are you doing?" Snow asked, putting her hand on his arm as though to stop him from leaving.

"I have a plan of where to propose." He said wittily. Henry smiled and giggled, Emma rolled her eyes.

"Not that, dad." Emma added. "You forgot to pay."

...a few hours later, James and Snow and Emma go out to dinner and run into someone we haven't seen in a while...

"I haven't seen you here in a while, Emma." Regina spat as she made her way into the diner with the Magic Mirror on her arm (him, of course, staying true to his human form.). "Where's your daughter?"

"Ashley" Mary Margaret was best at remembering everyone's Storybrooke names. "is babysitting tonight."

"I didn't know you and Ashley were so close." Magic Mirror looked at Regina curiously. Was this Mary Margaret or Snow White?

"Emma and Ashley are." James started to cover their tracks. "Teen parents and all."

"Only Emma's not as young as you guys think she is." Regina hissed. "Oh, you meant Henry."

"Actually, David, me and Ashley get along quite well also. We have this unspoken connection, I just can't put a finger on it..." Snow teased, enjoying the terrified look Regina tried to hide.

"She had a kid she didn't want, you want a kid you'll never have." Regina barked, sounding harsher than any voice Emma had ever heard. Snow didn't even flinch. "Those who can't, teach... I suppose."

Snow came back wit a smidge of snark, unknown to Regina. "Come on, Emma, let's play some darts."

"Hang on, dear." James pulled her by her cardigan's sleeve. "I have a surprise for you."

"Not now, David. Not here." She said bashfully with a hint of sudden cruelty. He got down on one knee and pulled the ring out if his pocket.

"Marry me, Mary Margaret." He said sweetly, smiling up at her. Flabbergasted, Regina and the Magic Mirror exchanged glances. "Please."

"Of course, David." Snow replied fakely as Red passed Emma the darts. With a "humph" and a quick spin, Regina and the Magic Mirror made their way to the door.

In a rage, Emma spiraled around and tossed a dart over her shoulder, pinning the Magic Mirror to the door by his jacket sleeve. "Are you just going to walk away from something magical like that?" Emma asked loudly, trying to get an uprise from Regina.

"There's no such thing as magic, Emma dear." Regina said, trying to pry the panicked Magic Mirror's jacket sleeve out from under the dart's sharp point. Emma made another great aim from across the room between Regina's fingers, just barely. "What the hell are you doing, Sheriff?"

"Using what I was taught to help my friends. A few kind words and I won't use dart number three." Emma threatened, Snow and James smiled hopefully to the woman. Secretly and quietly Snow snickered.

"Mary Margaret..." She started, glaring coldly at the woman. "I wish you happiness and hope you will enjoy your wedding present. And David." She circled around and looked at him curiously. He couldn't look at her even if he tried. He would break. "I hope Kathryn approves of this." Regina headed back to the door, Emma helped release the Magic Mirror from the darts. When they were finally gone, Emma was applauded by her parents and the other people in the diner.

"Emma, darling!" Snow wrapped her in a giant hug. "Where on earth did you learn to throw darts like that?" She glared at James, who smiled bashfully. "James..."

"It wasn't me. Snow, I'm just as surprised as you." He clarified, wrapping his strong arms around both his wife and daughter. "She's as protective as you are, I figured you taught her."

"She's cunning like you." Snow's witty rebuttal.

"She's pretty as a princess, like you."

Emma broke up the cute banter and family hug. "Well that was fun, can we go play some darts now?"

Snow and James exchanged looks silently. James finally piped. "Will you stab our jackets?"

"I only use what he taught me in moments with Regina." Emma stated quietly, remembering who taught her so well she could do nothing but stroke the leather jacket she had on, which was once his own.

...flashback, Emma and Graham are learning something valuable at Granny's...

"Now the most important part" said he. "is making sure you know exactly where your target is at all times." He had his arm around Emma's neck, they had both had a little to drink but they weren't too too drunk.

She laughed giddily at him as he said this. "This target always stays in the same place." She chuckled to herself as she spoke.

"Hey Ruby!" he caught the poor waitress off guard, she came over.

"More beer?" She asked coyly.

"Walk toward the door." He instructed, as he threw a dart toward the door. It hit the doorframe right above Ruby's head. "One day you'll be able to do that, Emma." He kissed her sloppily as they started out the door. Graham dropped the darts onto the counter upon their exit.

"Where are we going?" Emma asked, partially delirious.

"My place." Graham stated, as though implied. "Unless you've got somewhere else in mind."

...end flashback...

Snow was amazed to see Ella handle Juliet and Alexandra. At the same time! Ella seemed so good a juggling tasks, Snow never was good at that kind of thing. "I'd have loved to see how we would've been with Emma and Alexandra." Snow laughed softly as she entered the living room. "Damn this curse."

"Speaking of Emma," Ella started. "where is she? And James too?"

"Emma has to clean up at the station, James is going to protect her. She pulled quite the stunt at Granny's a little bit ago." Snow was almost proud of this. Ella sat up, pressing the infant who's head was resting on her shoulder awake. Juliet let out a quiet cry and Snow instinctively took her from the younger woman.

"What did Emma do?" Ella was never really one for gossip, but she always seemed to love the stories Snow told her. Perhaps because most of them were about James. Or who Emma was going to be one day. She was full of hope.

"Threw a dart at Regina." Ella gasped playfully, pretending to be surprised. "She missed, of course. Hit the Genie instead." Ella cocked her head to the side. "Magic Mirror." Having been clarified, Ella returned to her position. "But it's why that surprises me."

"What happened, Snow?"

"James and I... are re-engaged." Ella clapped. "Our last wedding was kind of crushed by Regina, this time we put an end to her."

"And James and Emma approved this plan."

"James did, Emma's still clueless." Ella bit her tongue to let the woman finish. "I've seen her with Henry, she wants to reach out to him more than she can with him living with that evil woman. If Regina were slain, he would live with Emma and our family would be complete."

"He's living with his step-great-grandmother" This was what Snow was talking about as being strange. "That's a little off, I'll admit."

"Exactly." Snow said, figuring Ella was finally in with it. "The only times I've ever seen her happy were when she was with Henry and Juliet."

"But killing Regina isn't good for everyone..." Ella warned.

"If it were your grandchild, when Alexandra's old enough to have them..." Snow said quietly, hearing the door click open. James and Emma walked in softly as though not to interrupt their conversation. "I can hardly believe the age difference in them anyways!" She squealed completely changing the subject.

"Twenty eight years and three months." Ella added diligently, Emma reached over and picked up her little girl from her mother's arms. "She was an angel tonight, Emma, although she seemed to wonder where you were."

"Thanks again, Ella. Me and my parents seemed to have an excellent time." Emma said gratefully as Ella and Alexandra made their way to the door.

"Have a great safe night, you all." Ella stated, standing in the doorframe. "And you two" She pointed at Snow and James. "behave. You've got children here!"

*Now I ask you all to review and make a tough choice: shorter chapters but quicker updates, longer chapters but fewer updates. Feedback is valuable! As always, LML*


	20. Chapter 20

*Hey there.

If you're reading this, I'd like you to review. All I had to say. So thanks, I hope to continue for quite a while. Fairy tale world is not the end.*

Schemes

Emma watched her parents carefully as they planned the wedding. Snow made her dress, by hand, and it was gorgeous. White taffeta with little rhinestones embedded into the blanket of white. Feathery tulle around the top of the dress. The top half of the dress was a skin-tight bodice. The skirt went to the floor and fluffed out in all directions.

"Emma dear" Snow asked one day as she pranced around in her wedding dress. "I have yours and Ella's dresses in the closet if you want to try them on. Red already has hers." Emma smiled at her mother in awe and said nothing. "What's wrong, Emma? You're just staring off into space."

"Oh, I was just thinking." Snow raised an eyebrow. "You're so..."

"So what, darling?" Snow asked quietly, sitting on the couch beside her daughter.

"You're so regal and resourceful and" she paused. "beautiful. I'm not."

"Emma!" Snow hit her daughter's shoulder lovingly. "Don't ever say that about yourself! You're so pretty and regality and resourcefulness come with time..."

"Yeah, but you're my mom. You have to say stuff like that." Emma smiled at her mother, despite how the thought was kind of rude.

"I wouldn't lie to you, or either of my grandkids." Snow grinned, thinking about her life. Mom. Grandma. Daughter. Grandkids. She sounded like an old content woman talking about her grandchildren, she was 29 and getting married to a man she had already married once. "Where's Henry anyways?"

"I don't know." Emma mused. "Probably getting something to eat at Granny's before coming over here. Or locked up at Regina's."

...meanwhile, Henry is running a meeting of sorts..

"What on earth are we doing here Henry?" A boy from Henry's class- named Mattie- scoffed at the bright boy. Mattie was a blonde child with deep blue eyes, notably bigger than Henry but dumb as a doornail. "School's been over three hours now."

"Everyone knows our teacher's getting married next week." Henry clarified, scowling at Mattie. "I think we should get Ms. Blanchard-"

"Princess Snow." Grace clarified, the other students nodded. "Carry on Henry."

"We should make her a card, since things are expensive." Henry stated, holding up a piece of pink poster board.

"Or we could make her a sculpture." Gretel added wisely, looking at Hansel then back to Henry. "Hansel and I could chop wood."

"Papa taught me how to sew. Whatever we made a statue of, I could dress it up."

"What about a portrait of her?" Mattie suggested sarcastically. "We could make it out of the craft stuff in the classroom."

"Sculpture... I like it. And the card?" Henry asked.

"And the card." Grace smiled sweetly. "Henry, can you get started on the card while we get the sculpture started?"

"Of course, Grace." Henry replied lovingly. He had always liked Grace, or Paige as she was before. She was so quiet and sweet and seemingly misunderstood. Just like he was.

"Henry, won't the queen he suspicious if you don't come home until very late?" Hansel asked, half terrified.

"Oh don't worry, she has a lot on her mind."

...Regina just can't get Emma's actions and Snow's engagement out of her head...

The nerve of her. Of him! Of him who belongs to her, of her who belongs to him, of the woman apparently their child, of her son who took her back here. I can't believe this. I've had my happy ending, but they get their's back? That isn't how I wanted it!

At first, I felt sure I had won. James was in the hospital in a coma. Snow was a teacher, stubbornly loving her life as Mary Margaret. Then she found Henry that book, and now she is getting married. To the man she already married once. Either Mary Margaret has changed from herself to Snow and David into James, or they are toying with me until I crack. Well, I'm cracking.

I realize who she is. She's their kid. Emma, I mean. I see how they acted around her, even as Mary Margaret and David. They seemed to care deeply about her, and they were smiling when she threw darts. The same smile I got from my father when I rode horses. The same smile I falsely gave Snow everyday she treated me as a mother. Similar to the smile she gives Henry and her daughter Juliet.

That dart was meant for me, I know it was. If it had been inches over, she would've nailed my face. I would've died by her hand. She would've had to arrest herself. And Henry would go into foster care.

Don't get me wrong, I love Henry. Well, I love him as much as I can knowing who's kid he is. Still, he's like a son to me. It's her I can't stand.

"I took Graham from her. She knows there's no hope of getting him back. But there is hope of one thing. She will find how to destroy me, if it is the last thing she'll ever do.

*and that's a wrap. Review please! The sooner I get to 200 the sooner they get to Fairy Tale Land!*


	21. Chapter 21

*Okay now: we have a lot to cram in here and not a lot of time to do so. We have Henry/Grace sweetness, Snow/James wedding things, vivid Emma/Graham memories, and a queen who knows what's coming next. What could possibly go wrong? Thanks for reviewing, and as always, your opinions matter to me.*

I Am Chosen

"So grandma" Henry asked Snow one day, when it was just the two of them. James was off to Thomas's for lunch with Ella and Thomas, Emma was off to work again. Which left Snow with her two grandchildren. "you don't mind if I call you grandma, do you?"

"Of course not, dear." She replied sweetly to the boy as she pushed a tray of cookies into the oven, her apron covered with flour from where she wiped her hands on it. "Cookies will be ready in twenty minutes, alright Henry?" Henry nodded at the woman. "Now what was it you wanted to talk about?"

"The curse." Snow's heart sank. These were the two words she despised more than anything in the world. "How can we completely defeat it?"

"Well, Henry, we don't exactly know. All we know is that part of it has to do with killing... Regina." She saw gloom hang over the boy's face.

"Oh." Was all he could afford to say. "I guess this day was always coming."

"Henry, I know she's your mom..." Snow tried to comfort the poor child.

"What will happen to me, if killing her doesn't break the curse." Henry asked bitterly.

"I guess you'll live with Emma and James and I." She saw Henry's face light up all over again.

"Really grandma?"

"Of course, dear, of course."

There was a dramatic pause as Henry hugged his grandmother. Finally he spoke again on their grave topic. "Who will kill her? And when?"

"Rumplestiltkin, at the wedding." Snow answered calmly as she heard a wail come from the room Juliet was in. "Look, Henry dear, if it could be done any other way you know we'd try it..."

"You want to give us all our best chance." He mused, she nodded. "And sometimes that's all that can be done."

Snow looked at the incredibly mature boy she called her grandson. Henry Mills, the brunette she had taught all these years. Her daughter's son. Who would've guessed?

...meanwhile, there's something great going on at Rumple's place...

"You kept it after all this time?" Belle asked, looking at the chipped cup on the dining room table in his apartment. They were enjoying dinner, Belle was quite an excellent cook, and she saw it in the cabinet and decided to pull it out. He smiled when he saw it.

"It reminded me of you." He mused, remembering what the queen had said about her. How miserable it made him. "I couldn't afford to lose that memory."

"I'm so sorry, Rumple, that I left."

"I sent you away, don't be sorry. I should be." He said, putting his hand on her shoulder. They both looked at the cup carefully and admirably. Finally he spoke again. "It almost worked, you know."

"What almost worked?" She asked, looking up at him from her seat in the chair.

"True love's kiss." She smiled at these words and stood from her seat. "I didn't think it could, but it did. You softened who I was."

"I think you were always a good person, you just didn't want to be." Belle hugged him and kissed his cheek. "If you weren't you wouldn't have tried to find me."

"Thank Emma Swan." Rumple added as the exited the kitchen. "She knew just where to look."

...some time later, Henry and Grace meet up at Granny's to go over Snow's wedding gifts...

Henry was sipping his hot chocolate, getting over the news he had heard only the day before. It was the Sunday before the wedding, Red sank down and went to her sewing behind the counter. The door opened quickly, and the little blonde girl sat beside Henry. "A hot chocolate, please." She said. Grace looked at Henry, and he melted like butter.

"So you like hot chocolate too?" Henry asked. "With or without cinnamon?"

"Without." She stated, playing with one fair curl from under her beret. "I'm more of a classic whipped cream girl."

"There's a first time for everything." Henry whispered as he pulled the card from his bag. On the front of the pink construction paper card was the drawing of a castle, much like the one from Henry's book. When Grace opened the card, she read the words carefully. This time you'll get your happy ending for sure.

"It's... nice, Henry." She said sweetly as Red brought her her hot chocolate with the mound of whipped cream on top. "Don't get me wrong, it's nice."

"You're just saying that, Grace." Henry added sourly, swirling his cup around anxiously.

"Henry, what's bothering you? I just said your card was nice, I like it. It's sweet for you to give it to your grandmother. But you can't tell me there isn't something bothering you." Grace put her hand on Henry's arm as he pushed the card back into his bag.

"They have to kill Regina." Henry expelled. "And that should make me happy, everyone gets to go back to the Enchanted Forest and all, but I don't know if I can go with everyone."

"Henry, I lost my mama when I was only three. You found Emma, you found your grandparents. Everything will turn out fine, trust me." Grace replied reassuringly. "Our world is willing to accept our secret savior." She smiled and ruffled Henry's hair. "Well, I'll see you later. I'm sure papa's looking all over for me."

"Will you be at the wedding?" Henry asked hopefully as he followed her out of the diner.

"Of course, Henry. Of course I will." And the lovesick ten year old watched the girl he seemed to fall for disappear, then started to head home to the woman he was going to watch murdered.

*Tonight we will learn about our favorite stranger won't we? And what a joyous experience I hope that is for everyone! Let's raise all our hopes for Regina's murder, Snow's second marriage, and the slow but sure recognition of Princess Emma and her darling children.

Review please!*


	22. Chapter 22

Somewhere Out There

Emma sat on the bed as she watched Snow comb her short dark hair. Graceful, sweet and elegant as she was, Emma hardly believed they could be related. Emma's curls fell limply onto her forehead, she held Juliet close to her chest in her purple bathrobe she borrowed from Snow some time ago. Regally Snow picked up the black bobby pins from her dresser, and pinned back one curl she had carefully set in front of her crystal eyes. "You should've seen my hair when it was longer, Emma dear." Snow sighed sweetly. "Regina must've known how much I loved it." Emma ran her fingers through her own blonde hair, which graced her back at its longest point. "Your hair is what I would've killed for though. So pretty, James's blonde and my curls."

"Your hair was curly?" Emma asked, surprised by how sleek the woman's hair was.

"Once it was past my shoulders it curled into spirals." Emma sighed quietly as her mother continued to get ready, sliding into her wedding dress. Snow gave a twirl in the mirror, admiring the beautiful sparkling stones on the back of the dress's flowing skirt.

"You look beautiful, mom." Emma smiled as she approached her mother, who put her hand on her back.

"I see three generations of beautiful powerful women right here in this mirror." Snow said diligently. "One day I hope to see you in this very dress getting ready for your big day, and of course Juliet to follow." She turned to her daughter and pulled her granddaughter from her arms. "Emma dear, will you please get my shoes and the veil? It's all in the closet."

Emma walked into the closet doors and shrieked loudly at the sight of her silent son, sitting on a hatbox reading again from his book. "Henry!" She scolded. "What are you doing in here? You could've given me a heart attack!"

"When they kill Regina, can I live with you?" He asked quietly and sincerely, making her heart melt.

"Henry, no one is killing Regina." Emma replied, thinking to herself that someone hopefully would. She heard the distant cry of Juliet, grabbed the hatbox and ran out. Henry followed her.

"Rumple is. At the wedding." Henry announced, Snow looked judgmentally down at her grandson who shrugged as Emma took Juliet back.

"Despite what everyone says, he's getting his life back together. He wouldn't kill someone at a wedding, that's just... awkward." Emma complained as Snow bit her lip, smearing some of her ruby red lipstick. "Mom?"

"I should've told you sooner." Snow burst, sadness in her voice. "We can't be dictated by her anymore, she must lose. I'm tired of seeing you sad pressed under her thumb, think of your kids! I didn't want to lose my family yet again." With one tear dripping down her gorgeously pink cheeks Emma smiled at her mother yet didn't say anything. "I'm sorry." Snow cried and they sat in silence for a moment. Henry broke the silence after a few seconds.

"Can I invite a friend to the wedding?" He asked, grinning at his grandmother. "Please?"

"Who, dear?" She replied, wiping the salty droplet from her cheek.

"Grace. Jefferson wasn't invited, but everyone in our class was. Except Grace." And Mattie, thought Henry, but nobody likes him anyways. "Please, grandma, please?"

"Whoa whoa whoa." Emma stopped Henry before Snow could reply. "Henry, who is Grace?"

"She's in his class, one of Henry's newest friends... you like her, don't you?" Nosy as Snow seemed to be, she was interested in her grandson's life.

"Grandma..." Henry whined, upset that his grandma had a giddy smile on her face.

"Of course, Henry, Grace can come. But remember you're the ring bearer." Snow gasped quickly and put her hand on her face. "We never got a flower girl!"

"Mom, you did too." Emma comforted her. "Alexandra, remember? She got a pretty violet dress and everything." Emma glanced at her watch. "Well, kid, we better get you back to Regina before the wedding or else I'm dead."

"Kay." Henry started out the door then turned back to say goodbye. "Bye mom, grandma, and Juliet." Just like that, he was gone. And the words never came out of Emma's ears. Mom.

...flashback, Emma and Graham were talking about Henry one day...

"Usually, when Regina threatens someone they get away." Graham noted while Emma had her hands on two of the cell bars, her head poking out. "But not you. You must really love your son."

"I'm more interested in how he found me." Emma replied, her black leather boots crossed under her. "But Henry seems to be a confused kid."

"What do you mean?" Graham asked as he ate half of his hoagie.

"His fairy tale thing. His shrink, he's Jiminy Cricket. Regina's the evil queen. His teacher's Snow White." Graham chuckled. "And you apparently don't think that's as odd as I do."

"Kids all have their fantasies." He smiled, making her frown flip. "When I was young I imagined I had a pet wolf. Although all I had was a great pet dog..."

"But that was a pet. These are people." Emma added.

"Did you ever have a childhood fantasy?" He finally asked.

"Finding my parents of course. I liked to play pretend. But that all changed when I was six. I knew they were never coming for me." Emma felt a sudden emptiness inside her. She put her hand on her heart. "And I wanted kids. I wanted a family... when I was ready to have one."

"Well, let him hang on to his fairy tales. When he loses them..." Graham grimaced, as he threw his hoagie wrapper into the garbage bin on the other side of the room. "it's the sign that he's growing up. Asking girls out, his first kiss, junior prom, forming a boy band."

Emma didn't think much of that. But in hindsight, she wished she had said so much more.

...end flashback...

Emma drove her mom to the small park in the center of Storybrooke, where there was a little gazebo they would have the ceremony in. Juliet squalled in the back seat of the car, her grandmother tried to get her to quiet down. "I didn't know how hard it was to quiet down a screaming baby!" Snow chuckled, grateful for her daughter. Emma put the car in park and smoothed out the lilac fabric of her bridesmaids dress and pushing another perfect curl back behind her ear.

"I'll take her mom." Emma reached back to get Juliet, who was finally quieting down in her grandmother's arms. "Or you seem to have it under control."

"I missed out on so much with you, Emma." Snow sighed, looking at the little baby as she passed her back to her mother as they exited the car. "I missed holding you, feeding you, watching you take your first steps. I never saw your first date, or explain why bad things happen to good people. I missed all that." Snow touched her daughter's face as she seemed to break down under the bride's touch. "I don't ever want you to do thinks like that alone again."

"And that's why you're killing Regina today." Emma clarified, Snow nodded.

"Darling, I never want you- or Henry or Juliet- to be hurt again. I want us all to go back to fairy tale land and live happily ever after like we should." Snow explained her course of action, then grabbed her bouquet from the front seat of the car. Roses red as blood, dress white as snow, and hair black as ebony. The epitome of beauty, Emma thought, was her mother. The fair and lovely Snow White. "Now, Emma sweetie, who's going to watch Juliet during the wedding."

August walked up behind Emma and smiled over her shoulder. "I can take Juliet for the wedding." Emma looked at him as if about to scold him. "Don't worry, princess, I intend to make up for the promises I made to you and broke. We will even sit on the front row, should you like to see her happy." Emma reluctantly handed her to August, expecting her to cry her eyes out and kick and scream. But Juliet cooed a little at him then smiled back at her mother.

"Second row, alright August?" He saluted her falsely. "And no funny business."

"I'll be sitting with my papa, princess, you won't be able to miss me." Snow eyed the awkward man her daughter trusted with her almost three-month-old granddaughter. "And good fortune on your wedding day, other princess." August walked away.

"Who's he, Emma?" Snow asked smartly, picking on her daughter's apparent new friend.

"Pinnochio, he told me. But he's August. He always will be." Emma sighed, seeing how happy her little girl was with the boy told to protect her. "I insist Juliet loves everybody more than she loves me."

"Emma, she likes new people. She doesn't see them as often as she sees you and me and your father. It's nothing to worry about." Snow soothed her twenty nine year old daughter as you soothe a young child. "Now we had best get going. We don't want to be late for the wedding."

...flashback, James and Emma have a heart-to-heart at Granny's...

"Why did you guys send me away?" Emma asked as they sat in the booth, Emma across from James. Both had something to drink in front of them. Emma had just a glass of water, James had his hot chocolate (with cinnamon, kind of a Charming tradition).

"We knew you'd come back for us." James answered coolly as he sipped from his mug. "We wanted to give you your best chance."

"So you sent me into this world, alone?" Emma was so confused at this. "Daddy, that doesn't make sense."

"Your mother- Snow- she was supposed to go with you. But you came too soon and..."

"Say no more, I get it." Emma understood better than anyone. If she had Henry two weeks after she did she could've kept the boy. "What would've happened though, if I hadn't gotten out of the wardrobe?"

"You would've been killed." Emma had never been more grateful for being given away. "Or you would've been a baby for the rest of eternity."

"Just twenty eight years." Emma corrected.

"No, forever." He explained as he swirled the cinnamon with his spoon. "Without Henry you would've not come back. And without you there's no Henry."

Emma nodded. "So I'd be a kid forever." James shook his head vigorously.

"Eventually we'd start to break. The prophecy would be broken and we'd all die." Emma nodded.

"So without me we'd all die." He agreed. "That's an awful big burden to put on my shoulders."

"But look how far you've gotten. We're all here... except your mother, of course, but she'll get there eventually." James put his hand on hers reassuringly. "I promise."

...end flashback...

Emma got to see her mother walk down the aisle to meet up with her father. Alexandra toddled down the little path, closely followed by Emma, spreading flower petals where her feet eventually were. Henry gave James the wedding rings they would exchange. Emma watched this all fly by her.

Emma then looked at the women standing behind her. Her godmothers, both Red and Ella, were there, watching their friend finally remarry, seeing joy in her eyes as well as his. And the men to the other side were Thomas and Rumple and Grumpy, to very little surprise, and they all kept stern faces as though telling James that if he ever hurt Snow he would be dead. And after he kissed the bride, and the whole crowd made their sound effects of cuteness, Regina entered the ceremony.

...to be continued...

*I know it was short, and it's taken me a while to update, but I hope you guys all review anyways!*


	23. Chapter 23

Fear Before the Fall

Emma saw her life flashing before her very eyes. There was a gun in Regina's coat pocket, she could see the outline. Rumple had his cane in his hand, but not his murder tool. She saw the anticipation in Snow's eyes, the grimace gracing James's lips. The silent cries of Henry as the silent film music played in the background of this mind film.

Snow saw her past replaying as her Charming now-husband wrapped her in his arms, as though protecting her from what she knew was coming...

...flashback, her first wedding...

"Sorry I'm late." The Queen spat as she stormed in on the wedding, the happy couple under the indoor gazebo, and the crowd of wedding guests.

"Snow, it's the queen!" Warned Doc, although Snow was frozen in a single mindset. "Run!"

"She's not a queen anymore!" Snow heard herself. She sounded so loud, so powerful. She drew the sword from James's sheath and pointed it at the wicked woman.

"There's nothing you can say to ruin this wedding." James said sternly, his hand over Snow's on the sword's grand silver handle.

...end flashback...

"On the contrary, dear, I've come to bring you a gift." Regina hissed, the sense of fear finally crawling up Snow's spine. The bitter déjà vu of their previous wedding was uncanny.

"Mom..." Emma whispered, hitting her stunned mother with her pink rose bouquet. "Say something!"

"We want nothing from you!" James answered in Snow's place, kissing her on the forehead as memory-filled tears just streamed down her cheeks.

"But you shall have it..." She continued to walk towards them, putting her hand in her pocket. Emma yelped quickly and softly as her arm reached back for her mother, and James pulled her quickly away. Emma get out, he mouthed, get Henry and Juliet out of here.

I'm staying, Emma returned, it's still my battle to fight.

It wasn't until then that Snow finally spoke up. "Regina, if your going to do this please at least let Emma and her children go." She replied peacefully.

"No, I know what's going on." Regina paused and continued to walk closer. "You want to get your kid off the scene, Snow, and don't pretend you don't know what I'm talking about."

"Let Henry and Juliet go, please. Do what you want with me, but spare them." Snow pleaded. "Please."

"Snow, James: you don't get it, do you?" She said loudly, almost directed more at the audience than the couple. "This is MY happy ending not yours. And yet, somehow, you always steal my thunder."

"Regina, please. Can't this be saved for another time?" James asked, hoping for a straightforward answer. But no. She kept talking.

"You see, Charmings, as you may be so important everywhere else, I'm still in charge here. I've let you get by this far. But I still have an ally." She looks at the Magic Mirror who stands in the back. With a gun in his hand, a finger on the trigger. "Go on, dear, do what I told you to."

Just then, as if in an instant, his gun turned from being pointed at Snow to Regina, the trigger was pulled and the shot rang out. Regina collapsed to the ground, a little stain on her crisp white shirt was formed, red as it ever could be. Her heels fell underneath her, Henry ran over to her, surprised. It was the mirror who would be her murderer! Evil lost to... evil! The mirror remembered how she used to be, and it was so much sweeter than pocketing a gun and running off to crash a wedding.

...flashback, the king is dead and the genie is on the run...

"You knew that snake was from my home land." He said, hurt. "You said you loved me."

She smirked at him. "Go. I'm giving you a head start."

There was a pounding in his chest as he used his last wish. "I never want to leave." And with a whoosh, he found himself behind the glass of a hand mirror. "I'll never be able to leave."

She looked disgusted. She didn't want him, he knew that. And that made him want to try even harder.

...end flashback...

Emma was so sad to see Henry that day. His head on Regina's chest, covering the wound with his head. Crying, shaking with his arms around her. No one was happy to see the boy crying his eyes out. Particularly Emma. She went to the boy's side and just held him close to her. "Henry" she breathed in his ear. "I'm so sorry, kid, I knew she meant so much to you."

Henry sniffled and sat up in his mother's arms. "It wasn't your fault. It had to be this way." He still put his hand on Regina's body. "It was bound to happen anyhow, I just didn't expect... her lover." He looked at the magic mirror. "Why did you do it?"

"I-" The Magic Mirror stammered. "I was tired of living like this. Like she controlled me. Like she controlled everyone." He mused, as he walked toward the queen's corpse. "I want MY happy ending too."

*well that's it for this portion. I'm a little out of juice. I finished my script for my movie (Feeling A Little Grimm? based off the Grimm's brothers original fairy tales) and had a very long school week. But Sunday's episode looks promising. So I'll have more by then. Bet your bottom dollar. Please review!*


	24. Chapter 24

* You guys are fabulous and I have now 167 reviews! (sixty four more than my highest before now!)

So without further delay, we have some plotting and planning to do...*

Deeper Than Ever

Snow smiled, holding her now six-month-old granddaughter on her lap. James sat beside her, his arm around her neck. Emma sat across from them, beside Henry. "Emma, she's grown up so fast." James gushed, tickling Juliet's stomach. "I can't believe how big she's gotten."

"Pretty soon she'll be going to school with me, won't she mom?" Henry asked, a twinkle in his brown eyes.

"Maybe, Henry." Emma smiled and put her hand on her son's shoulder. She watched her mother seem to purse her lips. "Mom, what's wrong?"

"Nothing, dear." Yet as Emma's gaze at Snow intensified, she decided to speak a little on her thoughts. "I just thought that you would have a couple brothers or sisters before I met my grandkids."

"Well we can manage that." James added coyly, kissing his wife on the cheek. Henry looked disturbed at the lovebirds.

"Gross, grandpa." He added.

"James" Snow breathed, pushing him away. "what I meant is that we have a daughter, two grandchildren."

"I'm still young, you're still young." He said as Emma stood from her seat. "Dear, where are you going?"

"I'm going to take Henry and Juliet to the park. You guys need your space." She explained, went across the room to take Juliet with her.

"Just take Henry, we can watch Juliet." James offered as the two grabbed their jackets and headed out the door. "Snow, I only want you to be happy." He explained, putting his hand on her shoulder. "And I'm sure that though it's been, what, thirty years since you were pregnant?" Snow nodded. "We can do it again."

"It's different now." Snow shrugged looking at James with a heavy sigh. "Our daughter is twenty nine. Our grandson is ten, turning eleven. A baby just doesn't fit into our life, nor this house."

"We can fix one of those two things, Snow. Haven't you ever wondered what it would be like? Knowing our baby from the time she- or he- is born, to the date we die?" James coaxed, as they both stood and walked out of the living room, Snow putting Juliet down for her nap.

"That's what Juliet is for." Snow reminded him as she spun on her heels to face him. "I've always wanted another baby, but now isn't the time."

"Snow, there may not be any other time. They're working on a way for us to go home." James kissed her again on the cheek. "I want us to enjoy being young while we still are."

"You know" For the first time, since they were truly alone that day, she kissed him and ran her hands through his hair. She broke away from him to finish her thoughts. "even though I have a grandkid in grade-school, you still make me feel pretty young."

"And you too, grandma." He joked as they went back into the other room.

...meanwhile, Emma changes plans and goes to visit Rumple and Belle...

"It's odd not seeing you with mommy and daddy." Rumple commented when Emma and Henry appeared in the doorway, Belle of course inviting them in. "What can I do for you two today?"

"You weren't at the shop today, Rumple." Henry mentioned, looking at his mom. "And mom has business to talk with you."

"Well then she should talk." Rumple said, offering Emma and Henry a seat at the table. "What's on your mind?"

"When are my parents going home." Emma asked very loudly, plainly and quickly.

"Um... I don't know the answer to that question." Rumple hissed, Belle gave a stern glare. "Oh, you meant back to the castle." Emma nodded. "I don't know. Why?"

"Mom wants more kids." Emma announced. "I want to know how long she has before she's traveling." Henry eyed Emma suspiciously. Emma nodded to him.

"Well, dearie, it takes time to break things like this." Rumple explained. "Days, weeks, months, years."

"So they have time." Emma clarified. "Time to get what they want." Emma bit her tongue very hard. Rumple opened his mouth, yet Belle spoke softly and sweetly.

"Because you got what you wanted." The wise woman, who was probably younger than Emma in looks but still older really, smiled at Emma with the most genuine face anyone could have. "Right?"

"I have my mom, my dad, my daughter," Henry's heart sank a little as she listed these things she now had. "real friends, and aunts and uncles and cousins, and most recently I got my son back." Henry hugged Emma once more. "I know they love me, and me meeting them... it's different. They missed me growing up. I missed them fixing me, and wanting me."

"And...?" Rumple inquired, rubbing his hands together. Emma glared at him for a moment. "Well, you Charmings should make yourselves at home." Henry raised an eyebrow. "We've got time enough to help the queen and king."

*Im giving up here for tonight. Deciding whether or not Snow and James should give Emma a sibling or not... help! And review, ALWAYS review!*


	25. Chapter 25

*Hey there.

If you actually pay attention to Author's Notes, you will see here that today's my fifteenth birthday. And if you didn't read this author's note, you're out of the loop.

Well either way, enjoy the story. This will be very interesting.*

House Hunting

Emma gathered all the things she would need for the day out of the coat closet. Juliet's stroller and coat. Henry's coat, as well as her own. Snow's and James's coats as well. All before she fixed coffee and got out mugs, pulled up her hair, and fixed toaster waffles for Henry. With a squeal from Juliet from her crib on the opposite side of the apartment, Emma came running and carried her into the kitchen. "Come on, Julie, you hungry?" Emma asked as she grabbed the jar of baby food she set out earlier. "Apples, your favorite." Which was a lie, of course. Juliet didn't like apples.

Snow woke up and sprawled out on her bed, looking at the Charming man lying beside her. He smiled at her as he ran his fingers through her ruffled bangs. "Wake up, sleepyhead." He sang to her, both amorously and humorously, leaving both of them with a smile. Snow looked at him and moved herself closer to kiss him, when she pulled away and ran into the bathroom. He followed after when he heard her throwing up.

"I'm sure this is easier when I don't have all that hair falling in my face." She said as she sat up and flushed the toilet. "Isn't it, Charming?"

"Snow, this isn't a joking matter." He stated sternly as she looked up at him innocently. "Are you alright?"

"Morning sickness is a killer, eh, James?" She stood and looked at him. His jaw dropped a little, listening to what she was saying.

"Snow, you think you're pregnant?" He asked quietly, she chuckled a little.

"I know I am, James." She replied sweetly. "That's part of why we're going house hunting."

Emma appeared in the doorway. "I fixed coffee and waffles, when you guys are ready for breakfast..." Emma looked at her mother, then to her father. Neither of them changed expressions, just kind of stared at Emma awkwardly. "What, is something wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong." Snow spat instinctively and probably a little harsher than she meant it. "Sorry, dear, we will be in for breakfast in a few minutes."

Emma didn't turn to walk out like they expected. Instead she went to sit on their bed, and both of them sat on either side of her. "And now I have a feeling you're going to tell me what nothing really is, right daddy?" James cracked a little under his daughter's puppy dog eyes.

"Emma, darling, your mom and I... we're expecting another baby." James said slowly. He didn't know how Emma would take it. She was their only child. He knew that she was older, but somewhere deep down he knew she would be jealous. But she didn't seem to change expressions at all. She just looked at Snow, then back at James, and Snow again.

"Mom, I'm so happy for you." Emma gave Snow a quick hug, then looked her in the eyes. "I take it we will be looking for a house with many more bedrooms?"

"At least more than two." Snow replied kindly. "So let's go get ready for the day, I heard there are waffles there made by my favorite daughter."

...later, James and Henry have a chat while house hunting...

"So grandpa" Henry inquired quietly as they strolled along the empty city sidewalks. Emma and Snow and Juliet had gone in to Granny's to pick up a few sandwiches for lunch. "were you any good with a sword?"

"Not as good as your grandmother." James admitted guiltily, tucking his hands carefully into his pockets. The ten-year-old did the same. "Why?"

"Before we go back to the castle, I'd like to learn a few tricks." Henry used his air-sword to display artificial fighting techniques.

"You'll have to ask Snow. She can do archery, swords, and strategy." James watched as they crossed the street carrying a paper grocery bag and Emma pushing Juliet in the stroller. "She's who you want to ask."

"Mom said that she couldn't help me. Not now, anyways." Henry looked at his grandfather with those beautiful brown eyes. No other Charming had eyes so dark. "Why can't she, grandpa?"

"Snow... she's expecting a baby." James gulped, and you could see a bubbly smile grow in Henry's face.

"So my mom's going to be a big sister?" Henry asked his grandma as they approached. Snow and Emma both looked a little caught off-guard, then Snow just smiled sweetly at Henry.

"Yes she will be, dear." Snow sighed, looking at Emma in hope she'd say something. But Emma said nothing. So Snow continued reluctantly. "And she will be just as great of a big sister as you are a big brother to Juliet."

"Are you happy to be a big sister, mom?" Henry asked hopefully, Emma didn't want to see that look on his face go away. Since Regina was killed, he wasn't as smiley as he was before. And she couldn't blame him.

"Of course, kid." She replied, looking at Snow, who had the same face as Henry at the moment. Undeniable hope. "Were you happy when Juliet was born?"

"At first?" Henry asked. He saw in Emma's green eyes she wanted the cold, hard truth... no matter how hard it hurt. "No." This surprised Emma very deeply. "I felt like you were replacing me, I wasn't in your life. She always will be."

"Henry" Emma whispered. "you will always be my favorite son. Always have been. Nothing will change that."

Henry gave Emma a hug at this deeply sentimental moment, James and Snow looked very proudly at their daughter. And right when you expected happy ending music to play, Juliet started to cry.

...the Charmings find a seven-bedroom five-bathroom house near the toll bridge for sale, which they quickly buy from Rumple...

"Remember, dearie" Rumple snapped as he took the pen from Snow after she signed the agreement. "all contracts come with a price."

"That might've scared me twenty nine years ago but not now." Snow returned sourly. He clicked his tongue at her, making odd hissing and tsk-ing sounds.

"Tis a pity" replied he, as he pulled up his jacket zipper as they exited the new house James now held the key to. "we could work so well together, your majesty, if only you'd learn to fear and be feared."

"That reign of terror is over." James said quickly, stepping between his wife and the magician. "We have our family to protect."

"Absolutely. Wouldn't want any of your daughters getting hurt." Rumple replied smartly, Snow and James exchanged glances.

"Daughters?" James asked, gulping. He knew how bad it was when Rumple knew their future.

"Any?" Snow inquired as well, looking at James with a glimmer in her eyes.

"You will have three daughters by the time we leave Storybrooke, Emma and two others." Rumple explained. "Due around November, so you're pregnant now I take it." James glared at Rumple. "Which you two already knew. Mozel tov."

"How did you...?" Snow asked quietly, pulling Rumple to the side.

"I said I was investing in your future, and I did." He replied smartly. "Now I hope you Charmings packed your things. There's a specific stranger who wants to move in."

...after a long evening of packing, James goes in to Henry's room to see if he's asleep yet...

James started to cut out the main light behind the cracked door, hardly noticing his grandson sitting up in his bed waiting for him. "Grandpa, will you tell me a story?"

"Henry, you really should've been in bed an hour ago. You have school tomorrow." James scolded.

"I know, but I wanted to say goodnight to you first." Henry yawned weakly, his hands running across the blue bedspread. "Mom said you tell excellent stories."

"Your grandma tells better stories." James added, walking over to the boy on the bed. "She could tell you one tomorrow."

"I hear grandma's stories all the time." Henry whined, giving his grandfather the most innocent face he could. "She's still my teacher. I don't always hear your stories."

"Well then I'll tell you just one quick story, then you mister need to get to sleep. If grandma catches you sleeping in class because of me I'm sure to get an earful." Henry smiled as James tucked him all the way under the comforter and sat on the edge of his bed. "Well, after I refused to marry Abigail I was in a dark place. My own father arrested me, he sent me to be executed. A guillotine would be my untimely death, I figured. And just as the blade dropped, it turned to water!" Henry gasped, pretending he hadn't seen the story before. "And then Regina..." James watched the light in Henry's eyes fade to black. "I'm so sorry, Henry, I didn't even think..."

"Grandpa, it's okay." Henry mused, still as sour faced as ever. "I know what she did to you and grandma, and mom even. She did treat me like a son though, evil or not."

"Well, Henry, it's- oh geez- it's ten o'clock!" James exclaimed, looking at Henry's radio alarm clock. "Henry, you have to go to bed, or else Snow won't be the only person angry when you sleep in class! That girl you like..." Henry eyed him suspiciously, surprised he knew who she was.

"Grace." Henry breathed her name, as though the most sacred word on the face of the earth.

"She will notice if you're tired because I kept you up all night." James pointed out, then added nosily. "Grace as in Jefferson's Grace?"

"Goodnight grandpa." Henry finally said, rolling over away from the man. James stood from the boy's bedside to turn off his light and crack the door.

*Adorable and hopefully worth the wait :) can I please get a few more reviews for this chapter than the previous one? Reviews really are the best birthday present, you know.*


	26. Chapter 26

*Continuing where we left off :)

And thank you for all the birthday wishes!*

Out and In

As the last box made it in to each of the three Charming vehicles (although mostly in James's truck), Snow started her walk to the school. "You two go on and start unpacking. August wants to be in the apartment tomorrow." She said, wrapping her red scarf around her neck, a small white beret fixed in her hair. The longer Snow's hair got, the more it formed ringlets. "Where's Henry? Isn't he walking with me?" Snow had really gotten used to her grandson walking with her to the school. Sometimes, however, when Grace rode by on her pink bike, Henry seemed to space out.

"I'll drive Henry in a little bit." James reassured his wife as Emma slicked her ponytail back, Juliet resting on her hip as she did so. "He got to bed a little late, I'm going to let him sleep in another thirty minutes."

"What ever YOU did, Charming" Snow found a way to say things brusquely and sweetly at the same time. "never mind, it can wait. I'm going to be late!"

"Mom, do you just want me to drop you off at work? I'm on my way to the station, and dropping Juliet off with Belle until my shift's over." Emma offered, Snow looked back graciously at her daughter.

"Only if it's not out of your way, dear." Snow told her, looking at Emma's glee filled eyes. "James, I want Henry in my classroom no later than eight thirty." And the two lovely ladies walked out and towards the crowded car.

...Snow and Emma get in the car and start their fairly short ride to work...

In the box-filled car, Snow and Emma were kind of cramped in the front two seats, Juliet in Snow's lap. "Mom, are you sure it's okay for you to be teaching these kids? I mean with how many times you threw up this morning... and last night..." Emma warned. Her mom was extra cautious, usually, but now Snow just laughed at her daughter's silly question.

"Emma, some of the children in my class remember when I was pregnant with you." Snow stated matter-of-factly, looking at her daughter. "That's a little weird, you know. My ten-year-olds remembering when I was pregnant with my twenty-nine-year old daughter."

"I will be the first to say that's really strange." Emma chuckled lightly as she pulled up to the front of the school. "And mom, if anything happens, just call okay?" Emma explained as her mom got out of the car and moved Juliet's baby seat to the front seat of the car and put her in. "I'll bring by your lunch later, for you and Henry. Granny's okay?"

"Emma, I'll be fine." Snow said, looking her daughter in the eyes. "And you know I can't refuse Granny's."

"See you later mom." Emma shouted out the rolled-down window as Snow made her way around the car and up the school stairs.

"I love you, Emma." Snow replied, smiling at her daughter as she drove away.

...Henry gets to school around ten o'clock, James comes in to see his wife (oblivious of the fact she's in class)...

Henry walked into the class room and sat at his desk quickly, setting his batman book-bag against the leg of the desk. Grace giggled as he slid from the door to his seat, hoping Snow wouldn't notice. And of course, when you hope someone doesn't notice something that's the moment they notice it. "Henry, how nice for you to join us... two hours late." Snow spat, not even turning from the blackboard she was writing on. When she did turn around to see crimson crawling in to his cheeks, she spoke again. "Where's your grandfather, Henry, he and I need to have a chat."

James appeared in the doorway of the classroom, crept up behind his wife and gave her a kiss on the top of her head. "Sorry, dear, he was just..."

"Charming..." She breathed, then turned to see all the eyes in the classroom on her and James, as though begging for something to happen. "Class, I'm sure most of you remember my husband Prince James."

"Henry's grandpa." Grace added, smiling from Snow to James then to Henry. "Now King James."

"And you're Jefferson's Grace, aren't you?" James asked nosily to the ten year old, who nodded in reply. "Pleasure to meet all my wife's students."

"Pleasure's ours." Hansel said, sitting between Grace and Henry on the front row of the classroom.

"James, can we continue this conversation later? At home?" Snow asked, a little harsher than probably meant. "We're about to have math class." The students groaned, hating math more than just about anything.

"I just wanted to make sure you were okay." James kissed her forehead once more, giving her a hug. She melted in his arms.

"Okay?" Grace asked quietly. "Why wouldn't princess Snow be okay?"

"Grandma's expecting a baby!" Henry burst, everyone looking at him. Particularly Snow and James.

"Congrats, princess." Grace said sagely, hardly realizing that Hansel said the same thing at the same time. They looked at each other wearing identical grins, Henry looked at both and then saw James scoot out the door.

"I'll drop you off lunch." James whispered as he exited the room, she looked back at him before writing problems on the board.

"Emma's got it covered." Snow replied. "But feel free to join us at noon if you're done unpacking." James exited fully with a wave, clicking the door shut behind him. Snow recollected herself, looked at her students with a smile and turned into a teacher again. "And now, turn to page 723, do problems one through fifty one odd with a partner."

...Emma sits at the studio with nothing to do, talking to Grumpy and watching the moments tick by...

"You guys got a new house, I heard." Grumpy mused, looking at Emma skeptically. "And that Snow's pregnant." Emma answered none of these. "Also that Rumple's marrying Belle."

"God, there's a lot of hear-say in this town!" Emma replied playfully, pushing the long-since empty mug across the sheriff's desk. Minutes seemed to move like hours, and hours like days. Ten fifteen in the morning, and Red walked in carrying a paper takeout bag.

"Two tomato soups, and grilled cheeses." She set down the bag in front of Emma. "So, is it true? Is Snow pregnant again?"

"I miss when there was less gossip in this town." Emma scoffed, looking at the curious Red. "And yes, she is. That's why we moved in to the mansion by the toll bridge."

"Jefferson's old place?" Grumpy asked softly. "That house is huge! Ever since he and Grace downsized I've seen them more, but it must've been a change from mansion to suburban townhouse."

"And in other news, Belle wants to marry Rumple since she got a job as a little princess's babysitter, and he doesn't want to get married." Red announced, as she seemed to be a town messenger. "Abigail and Frederick are now living together and engaged, and... Granny's does delivery now." Emma and Grumpy laughed lightly at this.

"Well..." Emma started, grabbing the bag and standing from her desk. "I had best get going. Call me if anything happens at the station."

"Sister, I can handle it. Nothing's happened since you were out, nothing's happened since she died." Grumpy explained, looking at Emma with a smile. "Go have fun with your mom."

"Lunch at ten fifteen? Isn't that early?" Red asked skeptically.

"I have other errands to run before the school." Emma left without another word, thoughts rotting in Red's and Grumpy's heads up until the time they knew she'd come back.

*Ill end it there. Hope you guys still like the story, and you could show me you still do by reviewing!*


	27. Chapter 27

*Hmmmmm... What to do what to do...

I'm watching War Horse in world history, so I'll write for you guys. Not like my teacher cares. So keep on reviewing and I'll keep writing. I pray that's fair.*

Lost Love

Emma drove alongside the graveyard slowly, setting her mother's lunch on the seat beside her. There was a small set of red roses, perhaps leftover wedding flowers with how dried they seemed to be. She had to do this, it was a tradition.

She parked along the grass outside the gates of the graveyard, knowing she was going to two sites today instead of her usual one. So she divided the flowers as she walked through the light and melting snow.

Emma made her way to the first headstone, a mound of snow accompanying dead flowers in front of it. Sheriff Graham, written on the stone. A question mark, a dash, and 2011 on the line below his name. Below that a little message of "we will miss you". And Emma wished everyone would miss him. But she recognized every set of dead flowers as her own as they appeared through the snow melting under her hand.

"Oh Graham." She whispered, setting the red roses- just two or three of them- on the top of the pile. "If only you could see Juliet. She's so much like you, I see it everyday. Her smile, it's just like yours." She breathed heavily, remembering just how he was. Like he was standing behind her, with his hand on her shoulder. But she knew he wasn't. It was just wishful thinking. "We're almost done breaking the curse. I feel awful, I didn't believe you then. Yet here I am: living with Snow White my mom and Prince Charming my father. Almost done breaking this curse, which brings me one step closer to you and the life I was supposed to live." Tears started to soak her face, making her makeup run down her cheeks. "I wish you were here Graham. We could be a family; you, me, Juliet, and Henry. And I hope- just like Rumple said- just because you aren't here doesn't mean that you aren't there." She kissed the tips of her fingers and ran it along the top of the tombstone, knocking off some excess snow before she got off her knees and headed to the next sight of interest.

Regina Mills, barely scratched onto the flat stone, with a question mark to 2012. "End of the Reign of Terror" seemed to be on the paper beside it, as no one was quite cruel enough to torture her burial site, although it was hard to read with the ink letters running together. Emma pulled out a few more red roses and spoke softly, not harshly at all towards the woman she hated so deeply. "Regina," She whispered at her start. "Henry misses you so much. He won't say it, but I know he does. I'm sure you always knew how to help him when he cried, or at least I hope you would. I wish we could've made a smoother transition, perhaps you could've taught me more about being his mom before I took him from you and you from him." Emma finished softly, as though someone was standing behind her, still like Graham's hands on her shoulders. "I wish we could've ended your curse another way."

As Emma stood and turned around, she was greeted by an odd sight: Graham's wolf friend, with one red eye and one black eye, the snow colored wolf that wrecked her car almost two years ago. "Holy crap!" She screamed jumping backwards as she did so. He didn't really do anything at the sound, just walked towards Graham's grave and laying down. "Don't worry, bud." She said, walking back over to the wolf and putting one hand on his soft furry back. "When they get us home we'll see him again."

...meanwhile, Henry and Grace are passing notes while they do their math work...

I think you're cute, he wrote on the piece of scratch paper underneath his book, pulling it out just slightly to show Grace. She smiled at him and picked up her purple glitter pen.

I think you are too, she replied sweetly, writing under his book quickly as though not to get caught by Snow.

Sometime will you come with me to Granny's or something? He smiled as she read this and pushed a strand of her curly hair behind her ear.

As in on a date?

Only if you want it to be. Henry added smartly on the paper, his blue pen making a pattern with her purple.

Henry, I'm older than you by quite a bit. She added, slanting the words making it harder to read. Sorry, she wrote some more, but my father has someone for me to marry when I'm older.

Really? Henry wondered. To who?

He hasn't told me yet, she wrote largely, but I know he's my age.

You're my age, Henry wrote mimicking her cursive. Why not me?

In this world, yes, I'm ten. But I've been ten twenty nine years. I'll be older than Emma by a long shot. Grace looked up at Henry from the paper and spoke softly. "You deserve someone better than me."

"So I'll be forever alone in the new world." He stated, although he felt that was implied. "Since there's no one my age other than me."

"It depends." Grace said, looking at problem forty nine. "Alexandra could have had children in the past twenty nine years."

"But she's two years old, not even!" Henry exclaimed, his concerned grandmother walking there way.

"Is there a problem?" Snow asked quietly, being careful not to spark a conversation around the class.

"No ma'am." Grace soothed the concerned woman. "We were just talking about the new world. Our world." Snow walked away but kept an eye on them. "Henry, you're a prince where we're going. I'm a salesman's daughter."

"But Grace" He breathed, nearly crying as he spoke. "I love you." She put her hand on his shoulder and spoke softly into his ear.

"Henry," She finished quietly. "as long as we're here, I'd say as long as papa doesn't find out..." She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. "I'd love for us to go get something at Granny's. After all, we could be in Storybrooke for a long time." She laughed, and he turned bright red.

"Really?" He asked hopefully. "Like as my girlfriend?" She nodded but said nothing. "When?"

"We can go today after school, if you want." Grace suggested quietly, closing the book as the recess bell rang.

"Ice cream, my treat." Henry said as the walked out hand in hand, past his grandma and everything, and he pulled a little wad of money out of his pocket. "I'm paying."

...later, Emma and Snow talk about the important things at the new house...

"Henry has himself a little girlfriend." Snow sang to her daughter, leaning over the new black counters of the kitchen with a mug of hot chocolate with cinnamon aimed at Emma.

"Does he now?" Emma asked loudly, quite curious.

"Mhmmm." Snow smiled at her daughter sweetly. "An older, pretty girl."

"Older, huh?" Emma continued. "How much older?"

"Can't say exactly." Snow sat on a barstool beside Emma. "But he knows how to choose himself a pretty girl."

"Is that who he's with right now? You've been home an hour and a half and he still isn't back." Emma was full of questions. And Snow couldn't blame her.

"Said he was getting ice cream with Grace, they're probably doing homework at Jefferson's." Snow replied coolly.

"That psycho that kidnapped us?" Emma spit harshly, not even thinking about it. "Henry and his daughter?"

"I have a feeling you're talking about Jefferson." James said as he walked through the door, catching the women off guard, carrying his granddaughter in his arms. "Belle could hardly let her go, Em." Emma grinned and gladly took Juliet from her father. "I saw Henry and Grace walking from Granny's to here, I guess they'll be here soon."

"He's growing up so fast." Snow commented, lovingly. "I've been here since he was a tiny baby, now he's got a girlfriend!" Emma grinned saying nothing. "Em, you're going to have to chain him down by the time he's a teen."

Emma nodded as the door clicked open. Henry walked in, smiling superficially and stopping when he saw all three adults staring at him. "Well, look at the time." He started running up the stairs. "I should start unpacking my room."

"Did you have a good time with Grace?" Snow asked softly and followed him to the stairwell. He turned around to speak to her.

"Grandma..."

*Well season finale tonight :) I had a great birthday, thank you for all the reviews too! The Huntsman's back tonight yay! And with all excitement aside, please review!*


	28. Chapter 28

*Thirty eight chapters. Over two hundred reviews.

And I remember my promise. People will be going home soon and very soon. So keep up the great reviewing work, and I'll keep up with updates and preparations for the Fairy Tale world.*

Homeward Bound

"I now call this meeting into order." James barked, people still taking their seats in Granny's diner on the warm August afternoon. Everyone took their seats and listened to their king. "Apparently we're heading home soon."

Snow looked at him with surprise, her hand resting on her swollen stomach. Emma looked from her surprised mother to her two children. The glimmer of hope in Henry's eyes was similar to that in Grace's. "James, what are you talking about?" She asked quietly. "You told us we wouldn't be leaving..."

"Until November, I know." James replied sternly, looking from Rumple to August to Jefferson in one flail swoop. "And we won't, Snow, but the others will start soon."

"Leaving without you, James?" Thomas questioned, looking at him as though he was delirious.

"We have people that are sick, and dying. People that need magic. And Snow and I need time." James smiled, and Rumple stood from his chair.

"August and Jefferson will go first, through the hat of course. Gepetto as well, to watch after his boy." Rumple instructed. "We have enough magic to get two through, and enough in our homeland to bring every one else back."

"I can't go with him." Gepetto said weakly. "I'm old and sick, too old to drag those two down."

"And" Rumple gulped. "there's another option to heading home as there always is."

"Not going home?" Ella asked. "I'm sure we all want to go home."

"It's more about time, dearie, less getting there." He hissed to continue the conversation. "There's always the option of things going back to the way they were almost thirty years ago. Or... We could move on with our lives."

"Wait... thirty years?" Red asked softly and partially defiantly. "Snow would still be pregnant with Emma."

"Well I can't go back further than that." Rumple stated sourly. "And yes, Emma would be but a mere child. You wouldn't have missed a minute of her life."

"But" Henry mused sadly, holding his mother's sleeve. "that means I wouldn't exist."

"Henry's right." Emma told her mother. "The first one just isn't an option. I'm not going back without Henry. He's the reason I'm here in the first place."

"And the second option, Rumple? Effects of that?" Snow asked loudly.

"Well you will age a great thirty years, the way you would've been had you never left our world." Rumple explained. "For some that means bigger families, and others just less to live over there."

"But" Emma started. "There has to be more than just that."

"You keep your children, dearie, if that's what you're wondering." He sighed brusquely. "But your mommy and daddy will be too old to rule the kingdom, no?" The startled look on Snow's face grew even more with this statement.

"Snow, no!" James barked as she stood from her seat and started at the door. He wagged a finger at Rumplestiltkin. "I don't want you to stress her any more than you already have with this choice nonsense! She doesn't need it right now!"

"Emma" Snow whispered calmly and softly. "come on, James can tell us more later."

Emma walked out, patting her father's back as they walked out Granny's door. "She'll come around."

...later, Snow tries to reason with Emma after both children are tucked in bed...

"I have an idea." Snow said softly, sitting beside Emma on the couch. The door was locked, James was helping Thomas and Ella with who-knows-what, and Henry was upstairs in bed. Juliet was asleep in the nursery, Emma had put the baby monitor on the table beside the couch.

"Before we get to ideas, why don't you tell me about home?" Emma asked, holding the fluffy gray pillow in her lap. "The castle, our people. I want to know what I missed, what to expect."

"Well you've met people." Snow chuckled, sitting taller. "Only Red's not as hospitable at home as she is here. Nor is James as carefree. Or..."

"Or you this weak?" Emma asked, Snow scowled at her daughter. "I read Henry's book, you used to be a criminal. Now you're a teacher."

"And a mother." Snow reminded her. "I have my family to think about now. None of us are like we were before."

"But the castle?" Emma wondered, looking at her with extreme childlike curiosity.

"It Was beautiful." Snow told her softly. "There were four floors constructed of stone. The floors, some of them were wood and others were stone as well. There were gorgeous rugs in just about every room, each piece of furniture was handcrafted for us. Particularly your room. The dwarfs put it together when I went to visit Thomas and Ella."

"That's cool. I'm sure Henry and Juliet will love it." Emma beamed, a sad smile returned to Snow's face.

"I thought about Rumple's deal, Emma." Snow stated softly. "About how you could be younger if we went back."

"But that means no Henry." Emma repeated her thoughts.

"What if you were eighteen when we went back?" Snow offered. "Henry would be a baby."

"But Juliet would've never been born." Emma hissed. "And I'm not going anywhere without her."

"Emma- I know it's a lot to ask-"

"Mom, do you know what Juliet means to me?" Emma asked harshly. "What if dad were dead? Wouldn't I mean more to you? Juliet's my second chance at Graham, and at being a mother."

"Emma" Snow interrupted her daughter's rant. "I understand. I just don't want to have missed all your life." Snow bit her lip and murmured. "I don't want to miss everything."

Emma hugged her mother, then and there, wrapping Snow in a huge embrace. "Mom, you gave me my best chance." Snow seemed to let tears slide down her cheeks. "Now it's your turn to do what's best for the twins." Emma put her hand on Snow's stomach, and felt a little flutter of feet beneath her palm. "You would want them to join us at the castle, wouldn't you?" Snow nodded comprehensively. Emma held onto Snow, just remembering how it felt to hold someone close to you in your arms.

...flashback, ten year old Emma living with the Godfreys...

"She's such a baby." Andrew joked, watching her cry as she cleaned the baseboards. Andrew Godfrey was the most evil little boy Emma had ever known, he enjoyed kicking her and watching her suffer. Today she was cleaning, and he was going through her stuff. "Still has a baby blanket she sleeps with."

He held up the cream and purple blanket and shook it at her. "Emma, the little baby of the family." He jeered. Andrew was three years older than Emma, and was adopted two summers before. Emma sat up on her knees and watched as Andrew kicked over the dirty water bucket onto the now-clean floor. He threw the blanket into the puddle, and Emma sobbed louder than ever before.

"That's what my parents left me with!" She screamed as the boy started out of the room.

"Then clean up your mess, baby." He finished his torment in an icy cold tone. "You wouldn't want your dead mommy and daddy seeing you throw away your only piece of them."

...end flashback...

James walked in late that night, sleep in his eyes. He hung his coat in the closet, threw his keys on the counter, and checked the clock. Was it really midnight? "You're home late, Charming." A groggy voice was heard from the couch as a lamp clicked on. There Snow was: wrapped in a cheetah print blanket, sitting on the couch watching one of those medical dramas.

"Snow, you should've been in bed hours ago." James ran over to her, and kissed her forehead.

"Twins didn't want me to sleep, though." Snow sighed. "Did you and Rumple come to an agreement?"

"None." James started. "He's crazy stubborn, said he'd only listen to you my dear. He only wants to do what you tell him to."

"Emma and I talked it over. What I wanted to do wasn't in the options." Snow explained softly, sitting up slightly. "I don't want to lose my baby girl again, James, I want her to stay with us forever."

"Emma wouldn't leave, Snow, no matter what." James reassured his wife. "She loves you too much."

"James..." Snow yawned, stretching her arms and wrapping them around his neck. "I'd say lets go to bed and continue this conversation in the morning?"

"Of course, my love." James kissed her once more before they started up the stairs. Her green eyes met his blue. The eyes that were strictly Charming features.

*Now I'm going to talk a little about the season finale. If you HAVEN'T seen it, please skip to the review box. If you HAVE, please continue.

Bummer that the season's over! I loved the characters and who they became: but a few things I didn't like. Regina, why did you double cross Jefferson you buffoon! Rumple, why did you pour all the magic into the well and pour out more magic you are awful! Snow and James, don't disappear in a cloud of purple smoke no! And Henry, your relationship with your mom is... awkward. Emma, drop the gun and use the blasted sword already!

Not that the finale was bad, I just hoped it was longer, and quickly followed by season two!

Now please review.*


	29. Chapter 29

*Mhmmm, this is going to be interesting.

You see, we have Snow: pregnant with twins, living with her husband and daughter and two grandchildren. And some other dramas: the claimed- wannabe marriage of Belle and Rumple, Henry and Grace and their childhood love (much against Jefferson's will), and all the drama drama drama with August.

Note: Henry is eleven, his birthday is in October. Sorry!

So here's to a great day, my pretties, and read further!*

Coming Home

"We don't have all day, dearie." Rumple hissed, waging his finger at Snow. James looked furious at him, protectively wrapping his arms around Snow. Belle scowled at Rumple's bad behavior, but said nothing.

Eighteen, Snow thought. Eighteen would be perfect for all of us. Emma wouldn't approve, though. Juliet. And all I want is to see my beautiful daughter happy. "Current time." She piped, making sure it was audible.

Rumple clapped at the Blue Fairy. "And the vial, missy." She tossed him a little glass vial half full with purple liquid. He drew closer to the tree that August and Emma both vaguely recognized. "All boarding, come closer." He said like an auctioneer, loud and overbearing as ever. Red pulled August nearer to the tree, Gepetto followed closely although he didn't know how he'd do home. Grace started to back away from her father as they came close to the tree, Hansel and Gretel followed Jefferson closely.

"Papa, I want to stay with Henry." Grace told him softly, but Jefferson wouldn't stand for that. He grabbed her wrist gingerly and pulled her closer to the tree.

"Come on, Grace, you have to come through when we do." Jefferson reminded her, she rolls her eyes but cooperates.

The fairies stood nearer, Grumpy walked to Nova's side. The dwarfs followed suit, Abigail and Frederick moved to the crowd. The two royal families remain, Rumple pulled Belle into the mound. "Come on, Belle, we need to go." He told her clutching the bottle.

"You're staying with us, Rumplestiltkin." Emma told him protectively. "You're not leaving till we do."

"Belle is going now, however." He told her and stepped out of the crowd, swaying in front of the families. "Surprised you weren't in that set, Ella."

"I'm here to make sure you don't screw over Snow and James." Ella spat back at the man, who looked at her distastefully. "Emma, go on and take your kids. We will join you shortly, I'll watch your parents."

"Hell no." Emma returned protectively. "Go on and send them home, I'm not leaving my family. I lost them once, I'm not going down that road again." James smiled at his daughter but said nothing until Rumple backed away.

"Stand back a little, ladies and gentlemen." Rumple grinned viciously at the crowd. "You'll want to stand in the smoke when it comes." He opened the vial and poured out all of the soupy liquid. Emma nearly squealed at him, until he looked back at Snow and James. "We have an endless magic-making factory over there." Red crept into Snow's cheeks. Purple smoke flew around the tree as Rumple backed away with a chuckle, everyone looked at Snow and James as the fog swallowed them. Soon enough, these lovely people were gone.

...later that day, in our fine and flashy world, Emma's thirtieth birthday is celebrated...

There was a small red velvet cake Snow had made, frosted with cream cheese icing. "Emma" was frosted in the neatest cursive Emma had ever seen, she loved her mother's gorgeous handwriting.

Snow brought the cake- decorated with black birthday candles- into the dining room and set it on the table. The lovesick Henry set out plates for the family and their three guests that remained in the town. Ella held Alexandra in her lap, and Juliet was in Emma's. Snow watched the two distantly, imagining life like that. She would be going home soon. Who knew what would happen?

"James" Thomas said pleasantly as they sat at the barstools of the kitchen eying Henry. "we have to take this boy hunting at home."

"Of course, Thomas, but we have to learn his strengths first. He's only eleven." James added.

"Twelve in October." Emma added from the other room.

"Nonetheless." James sighed as Snow finally set down the cake. She gave Henry a hug as he pulled her chair out for her.

"Thank you for being so much help, dear." Snow gave him a quick kiss on the forehead before the cry of "Cake."

"No problem, grandma." Henry replied sweetly. "Glad I could help."

Emma, upon reaching the table and sitting Juliet in her high chair, picked up a glass and made a toast. "To no more banner years!" She exclaimed victoriously before blowing out the candles.

"What did you wish for, dear?" Snow asked hopefully.

"The same thing I wished for last year." Emma explained. "My happy, healthy family."

Snow walked out and got a box from the kitchen. With cream wrapping paper and a purple bow. "A gift, my darling."

Emma opened it cautiously, the ribbon bow popping as the paper ripped. Emma felt satin on some sorts coming from a box, which she popped the tape from instantly. Revealing a gorgeous cream dress with long sleeves, a bodice, purple swirls and lace around the neckline, and a full skirt. She saw a giant slit in the front, and under it were purple pants of the same shade as the stitching. "A dress?"

"A riding outfit. For horses." Snow informed her softly. "When we get home, I want you and Elizabeth and Eponine to ride horses."

James looked puzzled. "Elizabeth and Eponine?" He asked. "The twins?" She nodded without a word. "What hat did you pull Eponine from?"

Emma raised her hand guiltily. "I introduced her to Les Miserables." She squeaked.

"Snow, James, Emma, Elizabeth, and Eponine." Ella announced. "Sounds so grand!"

*Yay little family funness! I'll pretend that's a word! And my next chapter will be cool, coming on Saturday or Sunday, about FTL! So enjoy, and review, because that's goody goody gumdrops!*


	30. Chapter 30

Lemurs

There are all these people, why are they all just standing in the field? Red wondered. I know I was the first to stand when we all kind of fell from the tree, but most everyone is sitting there. With their kids, with them aged immensely.

Red first looked to Abigail and Frederick first, and saw them change right before her very eyes. Abigail's hair grayed at the roots, Frederick grew a bald patch and wider slowly. Two boys appeared beside the couple, both in their twenties. "Mark and Robert." Abigail gave each boy a quick hug. No one said anything.

Belle was older, too. Her hair was longer and paler, the skin on her face was worn and wrinkling, even though she couldn't have been over fifty. A forty-something man stood beside her. "Baelfire." The man announced, shaking her hand. "Rumplestiltkin is my father."

Red continued to look around, when she saw a hunched over figure coming towards her as fast as it could. It was pruned up and wrinkled, plump but not overbearingly large. "Where is your husband?" It demanded, fixing the spectacles upon its face. This was the voice of Red's dear Granny.

Red looked at the woman confused. "My husband?" This was a blunder to Red, but she instantly thought of Peter. "Peter, you mean."

"That's your son." Granny reminded her, as if that was obvious. Befuddled as Red was, she waited for a few more words from Granny. "Your husband, up on that hill."

Red looked up the hill, surprised to see August standing there with a boy at his side. "August?"

"Well I guess you're my new lemur." August joked as she walked up the hill. He handed her a small mirror from his pocket, he hadn't aged a day. But she had. Her hair had gray roots, although it was as long as ever. Tied back into some sort of bun, she had grown out a little since she was twenty.

"You were a boy when I was twenty." She told him, as though denying their marriage.

"I'm ten years younger than you, so what?" He replied sweetly, looking into her soft gray eyes. "It's a happy ending, love." That word. That word was so common here. And Red didn't think she liked it one bit, nor did she miss it.

"This is..." She started, then bit her tongue, seeing the boy standing behind his father. He had gray eyes- like Red did- and a curly mop of brown hair that matched August's identically. Peter, as Granny had called him. Just like the man Red thought she loved. "this is going to take some getting used to."

"Come on, kid, let's get you and momma home." August said looking down to the little twelve year old, who was grinning up at him. "Come on, Red, don't want to miss the jump start on our happy ending now, do we?"

Some lemur I got, Red thought to herself as she chased after the son she never knew she had and the husband she never knew she loved.

...Belle and Baelfire are already well on their way to Rumple's palace of sorts...

"So you were in love with my father." Baelfire stated what was already assumed. Belle could only manage a nod. But he was full of questions. "Could you make him change? Is he dark anymore, I mean?"

"I'm sorry, I'm afraid I haven't seemed to change your father at all." Baelfire frowned, disappointed in this fact as Belle said it. Belle twisted around her long braid, and looked at the graying tips lovingly. They used to be so pretty and dark, she thought before continuing to reassure Baelfire about his unchanged father. "He did mention you, though."

He folded his arms across his chest. "Well at least that's a start." Belle looked at the man curiously. "He didn't have anything to say at all, nothing good. That's why I left. It taught him a lesson." He chuckled softly, catching her off guard. "It worked."

"The promise he broke... you know it?" Belle asked quietly, wanting as many answers as Baelfire.

"I am it." He whispered his reply. As they got to the front door of the large stone castle, he swung the door open and invited her in. "He'll be joining us, won't he?" The hope in his voice grew tremendously.

"Of course he will, Baelfire." She added sweetly and softly as the castle door closed behind her.

...the dwarfs storm the castle and get it into ship-shape with the help of some fairies...

Nova watched as Grumpy ordered the other dwarfs around. They were sawing wood, putting together furniture, re-wallpapering walls, painting furniture too. The Blue Fairy and Nova made a few nice blankets as quickly as they could whip them up, and a few sets of curtains from Abigail were hung in Emma's new room. "Remind us again" Doc spat on behalf of the tired dwarfs behind him, looking at Grumpy. "why do we have to undo the beautiful nursery?"

"Emma's not a baby anymore, I'm afraid." Grumpy stated sarcastically. "And she'd die in a pink room. You've seen how she dresses. She'd be caught dead in a dress!"

"Some princess she'll be." The Blue Fairy mused. "Underneath that shell of hers I'm sure there's a frilly princess somewhere." Nova giggled, Grumpy looked at her questioningly.

"Emma may not be frilly, but she's a princess nonetheless. And there are the twins, too. Couldn't the twins use a nursery? Or Juliet? And where's Henry going to sleep?" Nova brought some valid points.

"We've got two months to decide. I'm sure we can be done by then." Grumpy reassured the workers. Then he looked to the Blue Fairy. "Did Rumple tell you the date?"

"November fifth." The Blue Fairy announced. "Projects must end November fifth, that's when the family comes home."

*Well that's chapter lemurs. No Snow/James/Emma or anyone still in Storybrooke, that's next chapter's deal! So please review my pretties, I am sure we all want them home!*


	31. Chapter 31

*Well this is going to be great.

We will be fully transferring over to FTL as of... soon. Soon, you wonder? Keep reading.

I love you guys, my dear reviewers! Keep up reviewing, it brightens my day every time I see a new review appear in my inbox. So this is... this is for you guys!*

November Fifth

Rumple led the families into the woods, holding each other tightly. Snow dressed more simply than she would've hoped for the occasion: a white dress that created a ghost-like shadow in the grass, her shape hidden under the fabric. In her arms was Elizabeth, her beautiful baby daughter. She had glowing blue eyes that matched James's, the eyes she loved. James stood with a hand on her shoulder, his outfit just as casual as hers, holding little Eponine close to him. Both blankets were made of black yarn; Elizabeth's with pink stitching, Eponine's with red. Emma held the growing Juliet squirming in her arms, Henry backed in towards her. She lowered her hand to his, and he squeezed it tightly in a panic. Ella and Thomas looked at the standing toddler in front of them, their proud daughter. "Now stand back." Rumple barked at them. "The Blue Fairy should send us through right... about... now."

Purple smoke came back up through the opening of the tree, surrounding the families as they worried together. All went black as their heads were engulfed in the heavy fog. Emma's hand rushed to Juliet's head, and she held her closer to her. Henry looked for Emma amidst the darkness, but found nothing. No one. He didn't move though. Nor did Snow, or James. Ella and Thomas picked up Alexandra as they fell through.

Snow sat up on the hill but didn't stand. James looked at her, half hoping she would stand first indicating he had to. Emma looked over to her parents, then to her kids. They were both there, although Henry looked... different.

Henry used to be an exact replica of his father. Same rounded face, and sharp nose and the brown eyes. All of that was gone. His brown hair was curly now, his eyes were lighter brown as well. His nose became less sharp, his face became more defined and less circular. He looked like... almost like Graham.

Emma looked back to Snow. As if instantly, her hair grew insanely longer than it was, dripping down her back in a braid. Grayer than before, flowers woven into the rich ebony. Her eyes were framed by a few wrinkles, but she still looked young for being in her late fifties. She was just lying out on the hill, her white dress covered with a gray woven shawl, little white slippers on her feet. But Elizabeth was nowhere to be found.

James grabbed his wife's hand and sat beside her on the hill. His hair was even shorter, if that was possible, or maybe he was just going bald. But he had the same blue eyes, eyes like Elizabeth and Eponine. The eyes Emma always wanted. And they glowed against the new creases under his eyes. He wore a bright red ensemble, more royal than Emma saw before even in movies. And Emma had to admit: it was more suiting to see him in red than in the plaid shirts he always wore at home.

Ella and Thomas stood on the hill, watching a blonde-haired woman about Emma's age running towards her. "Emma!" She squealed, a blonde braid swishing back and forth against the corset-laced pink dress. "Emma, I haven't seen you in forever! Now I can actually look at your face without being held up!" In that instant, Emma figured out who the pretty little girl was. She was Alexandra. "Where are the twins?"

Walking up the hill arm-in-arm were two dark haired girls with light eyes, blue eyes. Cascading down their backs were flawless curls, curls like Emma had. One wore a purple dress with lace and pretty things. And the other wore the exact opposite: tan boots and pants, and a white shirt with a belt. "Eponine," One of the sisters- obviously Elizabeth- started. "couldn't you wear a dress like most of us?" Then Elizabeth looked at Emma. "Emma, what the devil are YOU wearing?" Emma looked down at her outfit: jeans, boots, white tee, and her leather jacket that belonged to Graham. She felt underdressed next to the twins!

"Lizzie" Eponine cautioned. "we should get her home before Margaret or Allison or Avery see her." Emma was surprised to see the twins, how old they were. Twenty eight? Even though they came through the tree as infants!

"Mother, Father!" Elizabeth called to her parents before she and Eponine tried to help them up. "We were waiting for you at home! We came to get you as soon as we could before Avery burns down the castle!"

"Avery?" James asked quietly, looking at Snow. "We have a son?"

"Margaret and Allison are waiting at home, too, though." Eponine continued. "Mother, are you both alright?"

"Yes." Snow finally managed to say. "You two are just as beautiful as I had hoped."

Ignoring how odd that sounded to both twins, they looked at Henry cautiously. "Well, Henry, your horseback riding lesson with your uncle has been cancelled." Eponine told him, then looked at Emma. "Marius is a little under the weather."

"Two sons?" James wondered aloud.

"Your son-in-law, father. Michael is alright, getting better after that hunting trip with you and Thomas and Avery." Elizabeth looked at her father curiously. "Are you sure you're okay, father?"

"Never better." He said as they started down the hill with Emma and the twins. "Let's head home, though, it's been a long day."

...back at the castle, as though the family couldn't get happier, Snow and James meet the rest of their large family...

Eponine and Elizabeth wandered through the castle doors, the rest of the family following closely. Emma and Henry both looked around, surprised at how nice it looked around there. There was a giant fire roaring in the fireplace in front of them, two circle staircases connecting to the room the fire was in. Leather furniture and gorgeous rugs, more like a museum than a house. "Just as wonderful as I remembered." Snow reminisced, looking around with a twirl. James held her shoulder, indicating her to stop and keeping her from falling. "All fifty rooms in their glory."

"Fifty?" Emma asked loudly in surprise. "Are they all this..." She searched through her mind for the right word as Eponine took Juliet from her arms. "intricate?"

"You think this is complex?" Elizabeth joked, looking at Emma with a childlike playfulness Emma didn't expect. This is what it felt like to have a sister, she thought. "You should see your rooms."

"My ROOMS?" Emma was thoroughly shocked, and looked at her mother curiously.

"Bedroom, wardrobe, recreation, and of course your room has a wonderful view from all the windows." Eponine bragged about her sister's room, then added jealously. "I wish I were oldest, then my room could've been chosen first."

A dark-haired girl- in her twenties, twenty five by Emma's best guess- ran towards them. She wore a black dress with an obnoxiously green apron tied around her waist, flour splattered along the apron. Her hair had traces of flour in it as well. She had green-gray eyes and thin pink lips, looking like a miniature version of Snow with a matching braid. "Emma, Uncle Grumpy needs you to approve the new bedroom suit." The girl told her, watching her wander up the stairs. Snow looked as Emma instinctively went in the right direction towards the room that was once the nursery. "Mama!" The girl ran up and hugged Snow tightly, James cowered away slightly.

"Good lord, Allison, she hasn't been gone that long!" Eponine teased as another girl came towards them. She looked very young, perhaps in her late teens or early twenties. Unlike the others, she had fair hair that waved instead of curling, and it was tied up very tightly into a bun. She had on a blue dress tightly laced in the front, thinner than the other sisters by a long shot. "Margaret, please at least say Avery's behaving himself."

"Of course he is." Margaret hissed, looking at her father oddly. "Father's son, though, always wanting to get into this and into that."

"Well that's seventeen year old boys for you, Margaret." Allison told her softly. "You were seventeen once too, dear, and it wasn't all that grand."

"Four years ago, Ally, and eight for you." Margaret smiled, then spoke to her parents. "Dinner will be promptly at six, we have company."

*Im ending... here. Review please, and I miss not waiting for a new Sunday episode!*


	32. Clearing up family ties

*This chapter is purely Author's note. So if you always skip these things, skip the chapter. This is just to clear up some gaps.

Fairy Tale Family Ships:

Frederick/Kathryn (children)- Priscilla (27), Roland (30) and his wife Alexandra (30), Liselle (18)

James/Snow (children)- Emma (30), Elizabeth (28) and her husband Michael (29), Eponine (28) plus her husband Marius (28), Allison (25), Margaret (21), and Avery (17)

Emma/Huntsman (children)- Henry (12), Juliet (a little over 1)

Ella/Thomas (children)- Alexandra (30) and her husband Roland (30), Jacob (28), Joseph (26), Amanda (20)

Red/August (children)- Peter (22)

Nova/Grumpy (children)- Winston (20)

Rumple/Belle (family)- Baelfire (40, son of Rumple's dead wife), Erica (6, adopted from the Blue Fairy)

Other characters families haven't been introduced, so I didn't mention them. But when we hear about them, you will know. Thanks and I hope this cleared things up a smidge.*


	33. Chapter 33

*I love the feedback you guys are giving me!

First off, I'm glad everyone's still reading even with people home now. We will spot more Graham here, may I add, only as the great old Huntsman! And, second, Juliet is alive well and unchanged! So with that lets begin.*

Our Story

Emma stood in her new room, admiring the green walls and the queen-sized ebony bed frame. There were large double doors to get in, double doors to her closet and curtains that blew in from the balcony. There was a crib near the closet doors, she smiled as she looked at Juliet in her arms. Her little baby, people thought enough that she wouldn't leave her girl. "Hope you like it, sister." The voice said from the back of the room, a voice she'd recognize from anywhere.

"Grumpy!" She squealed, wrapping him in a hug. "You look so... different!" And it's true, he did. He wore mostly black, and leather. His beard had a little more gray in it, and he smiled a lot more. Nova appeared behind him in the doorway.

"Princess Emma" She breathed as she walked over to her. "we've laid out some clothes for your family dinner this evening, something more suiting than this ensemble." Nova ran her finger along her frame in the air. Her hair was lighter and tied tighter even than it was when she was a nun. Emma couldn't help but smile at their familiar faces.

"What's the occasion?" Emma asked opening the closet doors to find a pale violet gown hanging closest to her. She held it up to herself, and it was just her size. Shocking, honestly, yet she said nothing.

"Family dinner." Grumpy answered softly, watching as Nova took Juliet away for a moment. "Nova, please get Allison or Margaret to watch their niece. I'm sure Avery and Henry are outside in the stables, I'm not worried about him."

"Of course, dear." She bent down and gave him a kiss on the cheek. When she had left, Emma raised an eyebrow at the dwarf.

"What?" He questioned as her look became less intense. "Nova and I are married, we have a son." Her eyes became wide with the surprise of the statement. "Is that a surprise to you, princess?"

"A little." Emma pulled out the dress and sat on her bed stroking the purple silk. "So who all will be at this dinner." She wondered quietly and admired the craftsmanship of her room as Grumpy stood in front of her.

"Well, your parents. And you, and your children." He started his short report. "Eponine and her husband Marius, Elizabeth and her husband Michael. Then there's Allison and Margaret, who I'm certain you've already met. Oh, and Avery. Avery's your younger brother."

Emma didn't say anything for a little bit, just sat and admired the room. "You painted this, didn't you?" She questioned finally, catching him a little off guard.

"Me and the other dwarfs, yes. Nova and the Blue Fairy made the curtains and bedspread and those dresses in your closet." Grumpy commented as he touched the dress carefully. "She said you'd look best in purple."

"It's the color I remembered my parents by as a kid, it's been my favorite all my life." She chuckled. "Well, I might want to change if dinner's at six."

"I'll leave you to do that, princess." He said as he started out the door. "See you at six."

...meanwhile, out in the stables Eponine and Elizabeth watch their nephew spend time with the horses...

Eponine said nothing as he walked over to the tall black horse. That was HIS horse. He grabbed the black leather saddle and stood on a small step-stool to put it on the horse. Elizabeth helped him up and helped bridle the horse. "Just like his father, isn't he Ep?" Eponine said nothing. She couldn't get over the fact he chose HIS horse.

"My father?" Henry asked his aunts. "Aunt Elizabeth, who's my father."

Eponine looked at Elizabeth cautiously. "Don't tell him, Lizzie. He won't understand."

Henry looked at Eponine. "Try me." He told her harshly, her demeanor changed."

"Your aunt Elizabeth and I-" Eponine started quietly, seated in a small pile of straw. "We were only sixteen when you were born. Graham was... an older man, a castle guard. Father was terribly upset to hear that Em was having a child, but more about who the father was than the very fact." Henry was surprised to hear his fairy tale father was Graham! "Emma promised she wouldn't marry Graham, until she was older, that is. She had Juliet around the time they were planning on getting married. And that's when tragedy struck the castle." Eponine bit her lip and Elizabeth decided to finish for her sister.

"She kidnapped your father." Elizabeth announced.

"She?" Henry questioned loudly. "She who?"

"Regina of course!" Eponine exclaimed as though it was obvious. "She burnt the west wing, killed half the guard, and cursed the baker. Apparently this was her home first and she doesn't like giving things up." Henry climbed off his horse and started out of the stables. "Henry, where do you think you're going?"

"Sorry, Aunt Eponine, but I have to warn my mom about something very bad."

*More Eponine, Elizabeth and the bunch at dinner. But for now, I'm going to practice my new guitar and (hopefully) bathe in reviews.*


	34. Chapter 34

*Before we start the chapter, I have something to say.

House ended on Monday, not a season finale the actual series finale. And our favorite Emma Swan was back for one day as the suicide-encouraging Cameron. REMARRIED CAMERON! No Hameron hopes after all, but her daughter was so cute!

Anywho, this is the right fandom and I'm going to continue My Second Chance now. And as the title explains, we can expect some "second-chancing" can't we?*

Dinner With The Charmings

The dining room was not as Snow remembered from her childhood and her early marriage. This was similar, but you could tell it wasn't the same. The circular wood table had more fresh carvings, dust didn't gather in the crevices. And she hadn't seen any maids, and none of her children seemed like true "cleaners". Margaret watched as her questionably senile-acting mother traced the pattern in the dark wood. "Mother?" She asked softly. "Is there a problem?"

"The table... it's different than when Emma was a baby." Snow commented, positive she sounded crazy. Margaret didn't seem to think so.

"Mother, it- it was in the west wing." She choked out, Allison came in from the other room and gave her little sister a stern glare.

"Margaret, we don't mention the west wing anymore remember?" Allison snapped, setting out the china on the table. "You were nine, you shouldn't remember anyhow."

Margaret bit her lip, Snow looked at Allison curiously. "Why don't I-"

"Why don't you remember that attack?" Allison asked with a specific sincerity. "You were with Emma. She was in labor with Juliet. Graham stepped out to get something, he didn't come back. You stayed to help Emma." Snow looked at her with a sad look in her eyes. "That was the right thing to do, though. No one knew what Regina was-"

"Regina?" Snow scowled, which both her children were slightly surprised to see.

"Of course." Allison added sourly. "That evil witch."

"Or an equally cruel rhyming word..." Margaret mumbled in hope neither Snow or Allison would hear. They heard her.

"Margaret!" Snow fussed, then calmed back down. "What else did Regina do?"

Allison shrugged, then looked at her mother with a serious glare. "Not as much as she plans to do." Snow picked up the skirts of her dress and started up the stairs, it was crucial she spoke to Emma.

...later, an intervention is made in Emma's room...

"Mom we need to talk." Henry barked urgently, seeing his mom fuss with the front corset of her dress. Her hair was still tied tightly into a ponytail, the dress's fluffy skirt pooled around her on the bed. The sleeves pulled tightly onto her arms, and she couldn't tie the corset just right; two things that drove her mad. "Or it could wait."

"I don't see why I have to get so dressed up for dinner." Emma complained as Snow walked in.

"Oh Emma dear." She breathed, walking over to her daughter. "You look gorgeous, we just need to tie up the front..." Snow pulled the corset lacing a little tighter and made a little bow with the remaining string. "Now you're perfect."

"I feel like a porcelain doll." Emma whined, then looked at her mother sternly as she stood. "Now what did you both come up here to tell me about?"

"Regina's alive." Snow announced, Emma's eyes widening.

"And she has Graham... uh... dad." Henry added, a smile lighting Emma's face. Graham. A name Emma hadn't heard slipping from anywhere other than from her lips. It had only been a word for so long. Now it felt tangible, when it poured out of Henry's mouth. "What are you going to do mom?"

"I'm going to go and kill that bitch!" Emma roared, falling back onto the bed. Snow put her hand on her daughter's shoulder and pulled her grandson closer. They shared a brief moment and let Emma calm down before Snow said anything.

"You will talk about this with your father after dinner." Snow replied coolly, seeing tears well in Emma's eyes as the rage slipped away. Emma wiped the tears from her face. She hated when Henry saw her cry, and Snow hated seeing Emma try to be too strong. Henry didn't understand what his mother's fear of showing emotion was. No one seemed to. "Come on, Emma, I'm sure Allison and Margaret need help setting out the food."

...later, dinner has actually started. James sits at the head of the table, Snow at the other end, and their grandchildren and children in between...

No one said anything for a certain amount of time as they ate. There was chicken and some sort of salad, both of which were delectable. Emma cleared her throat as she finished her last forkful of chicken and spoke brusquely to Eponine. "So Eponine..." Emma started, catching the chewing princess off-guard. "why did you tell my boy about his father?"

Henry's eyes widened, Snow looked at her daughter sternly. Eponine of course had a calm answer. "I figured you already told him. My apologies."

"Yeah, well you were wrong." Emma snapped as Snow stood from her seat.

"I won't have you two fighting during supper. If I've told you once I've told you a thousand times-" Which wasn't quite true. Snow never remembered fussing at the two girls, nor any of her other children other than Emma. "Em, I told you to talk to your father about this after we eat." And Snow sat back down.

"Ep, Lizzie... what did you tell him?" Allison asked. "It really wasn't for him to know. We want to protect our nephew." Emma realized quickly that Allison might be the only one standing up for her. Margaret sat silently beside Snow, Eponine and Elizabeth clearly had an inseparable bond, and Henry was fairly attached to his uncle Avery. "Not do the opposite."

"Ally, you may not understand this, but you can't keep babying the boy. He's twelve. You were fourteen when she burnt the west wing, you know what she's capable of. Last year when Juliet was born his father was taken. I know YOU may think that's scarred him for life, or that he doesn't remember." Eponine added cruelly. "Every boy remembers his father, all girls remember their mother. He's no exception."

"I-I agree with grandma." Henry stammered softly, seeing tears well in Emma's eyes as she picked up Juliet from her high chair and stood from her own seat. "Let's change the subject. From dad and from Regina."

James looked at him sadly, then saw his eldest daughter disappear up the stairs. "I suppose that everyone's done. When Emma comes back down we will have dessert."

Snow stood beside him and whispered into his ear. "We said too much, I'll get her to come back down." Snow picked up the ever flowing skirts of her dress and started up the stairs to get her sobbing daughter to rejoin the family.

*And that's all for today... I feel like this took forever! I love reviews though, so please make sure to review in trade for more delicious chapters. Now I'm going to eat a donut. As always, LML.*


	35. Chapter 35

*Dear fans of MSC,

I love you all! All the supportive words I get, and the criticism... I feel so lucky to see everyone who loves Juliet and the sisters and brother of Emma and a living Graham somewhere in the universe! I thought about ending the story when they got to FTL and letting you all conjure up your own reality, but then I thought... I can't. I love how everyone likes it so without further author's note no ones going to read... Here's the next chapter.*

Loyalty

"Emma, there's a chance he won't even be alive." James said, walking into his daughter's room the following morning. Emma scowled at her father as she dressed Juliet, who chortled in reply.

"Well this is great. Nothing says 'good morning' like 'oh, there's a chance the boy you're madly in love with is dead'." Emma barked sarcastically, seeing her father's stone expression become a smile. She leaned back on the bed with Juliet in her arms, her nightgown flowing onto her bedspread. Her father sat on the edge of the bed, and then her mother came in and sat beside her daughter.

"Emma dear we didn't want to lower your hopes..." This was it. Emma's wall was crumbling. She could feel the tears in her eyes. Snow hugged her and refused to let her go. Emma was shaking in her arms, tears streaming down her face. Juliet was beside her mother rolling onto a pillow, James took his granddaughter in his arms and watched his wife and his daughter bond over what no one could. The strong-faced Emma was finally letting her hair down and showing herself. "dear, you can't just bottle this up. I know you miss him."

"I miss him. He died in my hands. He was the father of-apparently- both of my kids." Emma cried, sniffling up the last few tears as Snow patted her back. "I can't afford for Henry to see my like this. I want him to be proud of me."

"Sweetheart, it's okay to want Graham back. But you can't hide this from Henry. He deserves more than this." James replied sweetly, putting a comforting hand on his daughter's back. A slight gasp was heard in the doorway. Eponine had just walked in, seeing Emma in tears and Snow embracing her.

"What's wrong with her?" She returned sourly, making James and Snow turn around. Emma glared at her sister, hoping she would cower away. But little Eponine had a mean side and a certain strength in ignoring how cruel Emma could be.

"Ep, whatever's wrong I'm sure it can wait." Snow growled at her spiteful daughter.

"Came to tell father that his horse is ready for him. Called a meeting with Rumple I think..." Eponine was a lot nicer to her father than her mother, which surprised Emma. All of them seemed to love Snow, all of the kids other than Eponine. Emma didn't know why, and honestly didn't care. "Come on, father, Marius and Michael are waiting for you in the stables. If you don't set out now there's no way to get there by dark."

James kissed his wife as she unwrapped Emma from a hug, and she whispered in his ear. "Please be safe." He smiled as if giving a reply, but walked out without another word leaving his wife with his two feuding daughters and little Juliet with a smile on her face.

...later, Allison and Emma are in the gardens just enjoying each other's company...

"Henry went to go hunting with Avery and uncle Thomas, I told him he could. That's alright, right?" Allison asked hopefully, receiving a stiff nod from Emma. Juliet was taking her nap, Margaret and Snow were cleaning around the house or sewing... things that Emma and Allison should have been doing. "You're quieter than usual, Em. What's bothering you?"

"I was just thinking." Emma said sourly. Eponine's encounter with Emma today had put Emma in a sour mood, she didn't see how her little brunette sister could upset her so much.

"About Ep?" Allison wondered, Emma snapping around to look at her under the apple tree. "Margaret told me what happened today. Said she was no different than usual."

"Where DO all this house's loyalties lie?" Emma added with a chuckle, seeing the blonde smile back. Eponine and Elizabeth had gorgeous flowing dark hair, similar to Margaret's curls. But Allison's wasn't. She had blonde hair like Emma, blonde hair that waved instead of spiraling like Emma's. Pretty blonde hair and a fragile silhouette swallowed in the light peach fabric of her oversized dress. Emma, Allison, and Avery all had blonde hair like their father; but Allison was-at least in Emma's eyes- the prettiest of all three.

"Well, Ep believes in three people: father, Marius, and Maria." She answered simply, picking one of the fruits and taking a large bite from the granny smith.

"Maria?" Emma questioned softly. "Who's Maria?"

"Ep had a baby last fall, but she died that winter. She was brokenhearted, but it brought her back to consoling in Lizzie. She had started to hate Lizzie, but Maria's death brought them back together. That twin bond strengthened by the death of her child." Emma almost felt bad hearing this. Was this why Eponine seemed so dark? "It's why she doesn't really seem too fond of Henry or Juliet. Or you. She only trusts father and Marius, she can hardly stand mother."

"And the other loyalties, now that THAT's cleared up?" Emma, with childlike simplicity, inquired. She sat beside the twenty five year old, two puddles of pink and cream under the bright green canopy of the tree.

"Margaret and mother, of course." Mary Margaret- now Snow- and her lovely lookalike daughter Margaret getting along well. Who knew? "Avery and father, father and Henry, Henry and Avery." This-again- was no surprise to Emma. "And me and you."

"I would've thought the prodigal child would have worshipped her parents." Emma joked, clearly talking about Allison. Allison pushed a strand of hair behind her ear.

"I don't know, you tell me." Allison had all the traits Emma had wanted: great humor, even temper, beautiful. She was the best of Snow and James. "Mother and father love you so much, I don't blame them. You're rebellious and beautiful; two qualities they admired in each other." Emma grinned at her adoring sister. "You're not like the rest of us. You're less a princess and more... human than the rest of us. Not as stiff and royal as us other kids, or mother or father."

Emma thought to comment on this, but resisted the urge. She stood and helped her sister up, then answered diligently. "Come on, Ally, I'm sure mother is wondering where we are."

"I miss us just talking Em." Allison admitted. "Since Juliet was born we've grown apart. I'm glad to see us spending time together again, now that she's not a baby anymore."

Emma's heart sank. She was right. Juliet wasn't just a little baby anymore.

...later, Emma comes in but her mother has some shocking news about Juliet...

Snow stood in the doorway when Emma walked in. There were faded grass stains on the bottom rim of her dress, identical to Allison's. "I really shouldn't let you girls wear light colored clothes, you always stain them." Snow chuckled, Eponine barely looked up from her cross-stitching. Elizabeth had little Juliet in her arms, chortling in her aunt's lap.

"Good god, Ally, you're a mess!" Eponine jabbed, Allison just but her lip and said nothing. Eponine scowled back at her attempted passive personality.

"Sorry, Ep, that you're in such a foul mood. Oh wait! since Maria..."

"Are you insane don't bring her up, Ally!" Elizabeth squealed, seeing Eponine storm up the stairs with tears in her eyes. Emma almost felt bad at what her spiteful sister did to her even more spiteful sister. But she saw words escape Elizabeth's lips before she could say anything.

"Ally, please go to your room and change. Lizzie, please go console your sister. Emma, you and I need to talk." Snow gave her orders, and the two younger sisters went up the stairs. She and Emma sat on the couch, with Juliet held closely in her grandmother's arms. "Did you hear what Juliet said today?"

Juliet didn't say much. Emma just figured she was shy, she never really had anything to say. Emma didn't know she said much other than "momma" or "grammy" which she called Snow. "Dunno mom, what?"

"Daddy." This came as a surprise to Emma although she said nothing as her little girl said it.

"And you'll never guess who to." Snow said as a second warning. "Your father." Emma didn't know what to say. She just kept listening to what her mother had to say. "He was leaving and she wrapped her arms around his neck and squealed daddy as he tried to walk away. It caught both of us a little off-guard."

"We really need Graham back home." Emma sighed, looking at her little girl again. "Before something really happens. I don't want him to miss it all." Snow put her hand on her daughter's knee.

"Now, dear, please go upstairs and make sure your sisters are all alright. I don't want anyone killing the other."

*hmmm... That's the end of this chapter. I'm so glad you all are still reading, it really makes my day! So review, like I always ask you to do at this time and... if you usually don't review, please change that and tell me what you think!*


	36. Chapter 36

*I would like to thank "Lady Blade WarAngel" for her MASSIVE amount of help on this chapter, so I hope you all love it as much as we're hoping for the soon release of OUAT season two!*

Eye To Eye

When Eponine woke up that morning, she saw a note tacked to her door. "Nursery at ten, meet me. Emma." was written neatly in cursive, Eponine pulled down the note to tuck it in her pocket before she got ready. Brushing her wild curls, changing from her nightgown to her usual tan riding ensemble and heading down the stairs. No, it was already nine thirty. She couldn't get breakfast before meeting HER for whatever reason.

Emma stood in her bedroom getting ready, a squalling Juliet heard from the other room. Snow walked in just in time to lace up the back of Emma's violet dress as Emma tied her newly braided hair with a ribbon. This princess thing wasn't what Emma was used to, but she liked it. "Emma, are you just going to let her scream like that?" Snow wondered. "She'll wake up the entire household."

"Trust me, mom, this plan will work." Emma coaxed, looking at her mother with hope in her eyes. "Henry's in the stables, I'll meet him just for a little while. Allison and Margaret made breakfast for you. Go on down and enjoy it." Snow smiled at her daughter and gave her a quick hug.

"I hope, Emma, that one day Juliet and Henry will do for you what you've done for me and your father." Snow walked out and saw Eponine walking down the eternal hall toward the nursery. "Good morning Ep. I hope you slept well." She continued down the stairs, and Emma followed once Eponine made it into the nursery.

Eponine saw the screaming baby instantly, feeling nothing towards the child. "Come on, Emma. You wanted to talk: here I am. Let's talk." She looked around. Emma wasn't there, and Juliet just kept screaming. "Emma?" Nothing but the screaming. She tried to mute it in her mind, but that didn't work. Elizabeth walked by, and Eponine looked at her. "Lizzie, can you help here?"

"Your meeting not mine, Ep." Elizabeth added wisely. "See you at breakfast." Elizabeth continued bouncing down the stairs and Juliet continued to cry out.

Eponine made her way over to the crib, almost feeling bad for the infant. "Your mother left you like this." Eponine scoffed, expecting something to change. Nothing did, Eponine reluctantly reached out to hold little Juliet's hand. The crying quieted for a moment and Eponine learned a short valuable lesson. "You were just lonely, weren't you?" Eponine bent over the crib and took out the little girl, who giggled in her arms.

"Ep." Juliet spouted, making Eponine smile even a little bit. No, she smiled a lot as Juliet said it again. "Ep."

"Thats right, kid, I'm your auntie Ep." Eponine chuckled as a presence was felt in the doorway. Emma had finally joined the meeting.

"You're really good with her, you know." Emma said softly, trying to comfort her stone-cold sister. Eponine walked over to her, as if passing Juliet off to her. "Go on, you can hold her. But we should sit and talk."

"There isn't much to say." Eponine explained softly. "I was jealous. I've always been jealous of my big sister. Ever since Henry was born."

"Why?" Emma asked. "Weren't you sixteen when I had Henry?"

Eponine nodded, then answered the simple question. "Everyone has a dream, Em. Ever since I was six I had wanted to be a mother. And ten years later, you found out you were going to be one... you never wanted to be a parent. You had Henry and our life was turned upside-down."

"I'm sorry, I didn't realize that you were jealous of me." Emma apologized, sitting beside her sister. "Why don't you tell me a little about Maria though. I want to know more about you."

Eponine's wall- like Emma's- had something that triggered its breaking. "Maria and Juliet were supposed to be born around the same time. Juliet was born in early September, Maria was born barely a day after Juliet. She was so beautiful, she was the best of Marius and I."

"And then?" Emma was happy that she was getting to know her reclusive sister.

"That December, Maria got sick. We didn't know what was wrong, we thought she just had a little cold or something... but it wasn't. It took her life." Eponine wiped a tear from her cheek and Juliet looked up at her. "Marius still bets it was Regina. I don't want to believe it was magic, somehow I thought it was my fault. Marius and I... maybe we weren't meant to have kids like you and Graham."

Emma put her hand on Eponine's shoulder and spoke sincerely. "Ep, you would be a great mother. Look how good you are with Juliet." Juliet's eyes peered at Eponine.

"Ep. Auntie Ep." Juliet managed, smiling at the woman as Eponine hugged her tightly.

"Emma... I'm sorry I was so cold to you. Can we start over, on a new page?" Emma nodded, glad her sister was so willing to move past this. Eponine hugged Emma and smiled. "I want everything to be like it should have been. I should be there for Juliet, just like you would've for Maria. You would've loved your niece, right?"

"Of course, Ep, why wouldn't I?"

As Eponine and Emma walked down the stairs to the other room, Eponine paused with Juliet still happy in her arms and looked at her sister with a certain level of confidence. "Marius and I want to have another child, I want to make sure that my family supports me."

"Ep" Emma told her sister. "whatever you do, remember mom and I are there for you one hundred percent. Just like I bet you'll be there for Juliet."

"Nothing's going to harm her, Em, not while I'm around."

...later, James and the boys have made their way to Rumple's castle and Belle greets them...

"James" Belle gave him a quick hug before showing them in. "looks like you got your sons after all."

"Son-in-laws, actually." Michael piped, looking at the surprised woman. "I'm afraid Avery is a little too... wild for this excursion."

"I see." Belle smiled at James. Marius of course took his brother-in-law's lead and spoke.

"Miss, could you please bring us to speak to your father? We're here for Rumplestiltkin."

"Father?" Belle asked with a chuckle. "Father, no. My husband." Marius looked surprised.

"I was under the illusion he was an older man." Baelfire rushed to the door and gave his stepmother a kiss on the cheek. Marius walked closer to Baelfire and held out his hand for the man to shake it. "You must be Rumplestiltkin."

"That's my father. He's been expecting you three." Baelfire announced, looking at James. "You must be prince James. My mother spoke highly of you and your daughter Emma." Then suddenly Marius recognized how he knew her. Belle. The woman who wore blue to his and Eponine's wedding.

"Eponine's godmother, Belle." Marius realized, her eyes widened. "You were at the wedding, the first time she'd met you. Elizabeth already knew her godmother, Red always stayed in the castle amidst the twins' courtships, but Ep never had the pleasure of meeting you."

"Belle-" Baelfire warned, grabbing her arm. "we mustn't stay and chat. Father knows the importance of their visit."

...later, the impatient Rumple wants to reason with James- alone...

"Take them to the other room, Bae, I just need their father." Rumple hissed, sending his son and the two younger men away. He was a little less scaly now, less golden fish-like scales but still a yellow tinge to it. He was pruned up, as you'd expect someone as old as he was to be. "Looks like royalty is treating you well... again. How's the girl?"

"Six blessed children." James replied softly. "Eponine Grace, she's twenty eight now, oldest of the twins... has a temper but that was expected. And Elizabeth- Lizzie-Anne, calmer and more reasonable of the twins." His gorgeous twins, the ones that looked like Snow. Dark hair, but his eyes. His blue eyes glittering on their porcelain faces. "Lilly Allison, little Ally, she's twenty five and looks just like Emma it's almost uncanny. Margaret Claire, just as glorious as Snow ever was, pretty as a picture. Just turned twenty one week ago. Oh! and my pride son, Avery Drew, seventeen and wild."

"And your grandchildren." Rumple pondered. James looked gravely down at the elaborate red-and-brown carpet beneath his black leather chair.

"You think she's after Henry?" James asked, terrified for his grandson.

"Oh I know Regina's not after Henry." Rumple assured him. "No no. Wouldn't it be such a waste: going after someone who resents your very existence? Henry isn't a concern." James raised an eyebrow. "She'd be after Juliet."

*And this is today's grand end. I would like your reviews, pretty pretty please :) So smile, give me your suggestions (which are likely to end up in the story, like Lady Blade WarAngel learned) and remind me why you still read :D it's great to know you all care!*


	37. Chapter 37

*I am going to write today.

For those of you who don't really know me that well, I'm lightmylumiere, or LML for short. This is my story, in one of my new favorite fandoms. I write every chapter of this lovely story My Second Chance on my iPod touch's notes app, since computer access is not as big of an option as I would hope. Now why did I tell you all this? Because I hope it will help you value updates. I am so happy you all still review, yay! And I guess I'll let you read now... sorry for the delay...*

Sunshine

Emma looked up at Snow with a glum expression one evening at dinner. Ep was feeding Juliet, Elizabeth was cleaning up the plates with Margaret. Allison had taken Henry out to secure the stables with Avery, who had taken a liking to being a stable boy. "Mom" Emma asked cautiously. "why isn't dad back? He's been gone for almost a month now..."

"Em" Snow reassured her oldest daughter. "he'll be back soon, I can guarantee you that."

"Mother, father has been across the countryside quicker than this." Elizabeth pointed out. "Maybe he's hurt."

"Marius would've brought him home, whether he was sick or hurt or dying." Eponine replied confidently, holding Juliet a little higher in her lap. "He's a hero like that."

Elizabeth glared at her identical sister. "Says she who married a renegade." Eponine rolled her eyes, trying to ignore her twin. Emma continued her point and ignored the bickering sisters.

"Mom, the snow's thick. It's icy out. Its December, nearly Christmas." Emma stated the obvious. Snow looked at her with a glittering look of hope in her hazel eyes.

"He's fine, girls, all three of them are." Snow promised, then looked to Eponine curiously. "Ep, darling, what are you doing?"

"I'm feeding Juliet. What did you think I was doing?" Snow shrugged, unsure of how to answer that. "Em, I'm going to put her to bed. She seems a little tired." Eponine stood and Elizabeth stood as well.

"I'll go with her." Elizabeth announced, looking from Snow to Emma, and then chased after the woman and her niece.

Emma's whole demeanor changed. "I just want him home by Christmas."

Snow looked at her with sympathy as she sank back to her seat. "We all want him back darling, everyone wants your father..." Then Snow seemed to understand more of who this was about. "Graham. You want Graham back by Christmas."

"It would be the best gift, mom. Waking up Christmas morning, chasing Henry down the stairs. There's a giant tree in the parlor, surrounded by presents he can't wait to open. Ep sits on the couch beside Marius, holding Juliet. Elizabeth carries in hot chocolate with cinnamon on a silver tray, Michael carries out cookies from the opposite end of the room." Emma smiled while telling her story. "Allison is scolding Henry for running on a newly polished floor, but let's us both into the parlor. Avery hides under the tree and terrifies Margaret when she grabs dad's gift. You fuss at Avery, but do nothing. Instead you stand and lead me into the kitchen, saying you need my help with lunch. And there he is: sitting there, waiting for me. He embraces me, and he never lets me go."

Snow can't say anything. Her daughter finally told her all she ever wanted.

...later, Regina is plotting and her captive is close at hand...

On the mirror in front of them was a sleeping infant, with traces of tan curls falling onto her in her sleep. Her skin was milky, she slept peacefully in her pink nightgown. He felt tortured seeing her smiling in her sleep. It was worse than death. "Isn't she beautiful, Graham?"

He twisted his wrists underneath their rope binding. "This is torture, Regina. If you want to kill me, just kill me." She chuckled maniacally at that easy alternative.

"Oh, dear, you've got it all wrong. I don't want to kill you..." Regina grinned. "it's her I'm after."

"Leave my daughter out of this." He barked, seeing her back away for a brief moment. She returned quickly to her position.

"Wrong 'her' I have a bone to pick with." Regina peered over to him as his heart sank.

"What did Emma do that was so awful to you?"

"She took away the only person I loved, she turned all my subjects against me. It's only fair I take what she loves away from her. You, my dear, will never be seeing your pretty little princess again."

"Take me, but don't do anything to my family." Graham ordered to the nearly ancient woman. "Give Juliet her best chance, it's not as an orphan. Take me instead."

"None of this would've happened if it weren't for you. You're the reason Emma was born. You're the reason your child was born. Stop babying them, they will have to fend for themselves at some point. You're not doing any favors." She sat back down and snapped at one of the guards. "Take this heartless man back to his cell, I'll see him again tomorrow."

...quite some time later, James comes home and surprises his wife...

It was late. Later than he should've been home. All his children were asleep, unless Emma was taking care of Juliet, which meant everyone else was asleep. He snuck up the stairs and into his bedroom, kicking off his boots at the door. He crawled into the bed his wife was already sleeping away in. He pushed a strand of her hair out of her face to see her smiling in her sleep, before she rolled over and grinned back at her. "Charming" She whispered. "you're home late."

"Sorry if I kept you up late, darling." He continued, stroking a strip of his wife's graying hair. "How are the girls?"

"Stubborn as ever." Snow chuckled and pulled her hair back behind her. "Ep and Em resolved their conflict, Lizzie decided to wander off today and not show up until dinnertime, Ally and Margaret trimmed up the garden and cleaned, and Avery taught your grandson a little archery." James chuckled. That was his boy.

"And how's Juliet?" He asked hopefully. "She's alright, right?"

"Of course, James. Why wouldn't she be?" The look on his face frightened her, and she sat up. "James?"

"Regina's after her, make sure she's constantly under someone's watch. She's her pawn, she knows Juliet will lead either to Emma's demise or Graham's." James had a worried tone to his voice and the creases in his forehead deepened. "Keep Emma on her toes, Snow, please."

"I can't lose my baby again." Snow told him, all the joy that usually filled her voice faded to nothing. Emma heard it all standing outside the door. This time, her happy ending was there to take.

*Riveting I hope! If it wasn't, let me know and I'll twist next time. Review anyways! The past two chapters I've only gotten five reviews, and I've seen you guys do better than that!

Oh yes! And two last things to mention: first off, thank you to Lady Blade WarAngel for creating sketches of Ep and Lizzie and Alexandra and Margaret and Allison. Look at ladybladewaragnel. deviantart profile/ but take out the spaces. Also, wickedawesome38 made a MSC trailer on YouTube! Look her up to find it :) thanks!*


	38. Chapter 38

Euphoria, Part One

Three years lapse.

Four year old Juliet was being chased down the stairs by her uncle Avery and his fiancé Amanda. Amanda's older sister Alexandra sat with her husband and the five-year-old blonde daughter they shared named Jasmine. The proud parents of Alexandra and her husband Roland sat at the table with Snow and James. "It's nice to have all of our families together." James smiled, looking from his wife to Ella and Thomas and finally to Abigail and Frederick.

"Nicer now that the children are older." Ella noted, and Snow chuckled in agreement. Allison sat beside her husband, Peter, whose parents would be stopping by later. Winston cuddled alongside Margaret sweetly, each holding a mug of hot chocolate in anticipation for the upcoming double wedding only days away. Jacob and Priscilla gazed at the tree by the staircase lovingly as they stood under the mistletoe clueless.

"Where's Emma?" Abigail asked, looking around for the blonde. "I know Eponine and Elizabeth are upstairs, aren't they?"

"Probably in the stables. Emma loves that old black horse." Snow glared at her husband. "I-I don't blame her though. If Snow was gone I'd treasure anything she left behind." He looked over to Allison and cleared his throat loud enough to make her rise to her feet. "Ally, go check on Emma." Allison started out of the room. She knew exactly where she was.

...Later, Allison finds Emma getting ready in the stables...

Emma pulled the belt tightly around her puffy-sleeved white blouse, the golden buttons complimented by the brown leather belt. HIS shirt. HIS belt. HIS horse, and she was doing this for him.

"Emma!" Allison called as she threw open the barn doors. "They're getting ready to open presents, we're waiting on you!"

"Start without me, Ally, make sure Juliet opens mine last." Emma directed, throwing the saddle onto the back of the black horse.

"Em," Allison was cautious with her next words. "where are you going?"

"To reason with Regina." She answered. Her sister was not at all surprised, but did have a comeback.

"Juliet has been guarded since she was young from her, nothing's happened. Henry's fifteen and learning his duties as a prince. You'll be heir to the throne unless you get blown up by the witch's magic. We're all happy."

"That's the point!" Emma shrieked, catching her sister off-guard. They both sank down in the hay as Emma explained herself. "Everyone else IS happy. I know Regina has him, and I miss him. Juliet may have never known him, but no girl deserves to grow up without her dad there to protect her." Emma vaguely remembered what it was like growing up without her parents. She always wondered about them but never said anything. "It's good to see you happy, Ally, you and Ep and Lizzie and Margaret. And I want to come to hers and Avery's weddings both but..."

"Em, you can't leave. Please don't." Allison begged, looking at her sister with sadness.

"I don't have a reason to stay." Emma said coldly, Allison looked into her green eyes.

"Em... I'm pregnant." These were the last words Emma expected to hear. Her perfect little sister, still dependent of her despite the fact that she was twenty eight. "I don't know what to do, Em, you're such a good mother and I'm not made to be one..."

"Then consider me going for you, Ally, to keep you safe." Emma mounted the horse and looked to the woman in the hay.

"What do you want me to tell mother and father?" Allison asked as Emma and the horse slipped out the door.

"Tell them I'm chasing euphoria." She finished and smiled, as though telling her sister 'this isn't goodbye'.

...days later, Margaret is getting ready for her wedding...

Snow brushed her youngest daughter's hair into a bouffant, pushing white roses into a few loose curls to tuck them back in. She wore Snow's white wedding dress- from Snow's first wedding. Margaret had gorgeous shoes to wear, a pair passed down from wedding to wedding, and would soon be passed to Amanda. "Mother, what happens when Emma gets married?" Margaret asked softly, not to set her mother off-task. "I mean, since Avery will surely marry first."

"Your great-great-grandmother had these shoes. My great-grandmother wore them, my grandmother after her, and my mother- may she rest in peace." Snow put her hand on her heart.

"Then Regina." Margaret stated, sending a chill up Snow's spine. "Emma told me."

"And Regina, yes, then me." She looked at the intricate white rose-covered heels. "I remember when I was little, I took them from the wardrobe and danced around, pretending it was my wedding day. Ep wore these shoes to her wedding, Lizzie wore them, Ally wore them, and today you will. Amanda will this spring, and someday soon Henry's bride will. Maybe even Juliet. These shoes will probably never leave the castle." Snow smiled before saying the next part. "Although Avery will. He wants to live with Abigail and Frederick and their family."

Margaret smiled, then looked around. "I only wish Emma were here." She told her mother softly. "She was supposed to be my maid of honor. Where did she say she was going?"

Snow didn't answer for a moment. Telling her daughter the truth would cancel the wedding, send James out after Emma. "She went to go and scout an old friend of Henry's." Snow lied, and Margaret was none the wiser. "Now come on, my dear. I'm sure Winston is waiting for you at the gazebo."

...meanwhile, Emma has found her way into the tower in which Graham is being kept without being spotted by Regina...

Four dead black-clad guards were piled against a brick wall, arrows in their backs. Emma ran to the gate with a bow in her hand, seeing Graham sitting on a bench. Not in a cage, no behind a door or locked up: he was just sitting there, his hands tied together. "Emma" Being locked up hadn't treated him well. He didn't look as old as she had imagined, he must've been close to her mother's age although he appeared to be in his early forties. Underneath him was a little glass box, containing a heart. "Emma please help me out."

"Graham." She managed, tears blurring him as she ran to him. He tried to hug her, but he couldn't with his hands tied together. She untied him and he hugged her tightly, running his hands through her blonde curls. "I thought you were dead." She told him quietly, sobbing onto his black shirt. She had on a purple cloak, which she wrapped around him as he stood. "You're cold as ice."

"Take the box, Emma, we must go quickly." Graham told her quietly as she picked it up. They ran down the stairs as he continued to speak. "As long as my heart was out of me I couldn't age. You have to put it back when we get away, please."

"You're really coming with me?" Not that Emma was truly surprised, she couldn't wait to introduce his little girl to him. "You really want to come home to me, and my parents, and my crazy sisters?"

"Emma please..." He mounted the horse and pulled her up behind him. "I wouldn't imagine my happy ending any other way."

*And that's the end of Euphoria, Part One. Part two coming very soon depending on reviews!

P.S.: this next chapter won't have as euphoric of an ending.*


	39. Chapter 39

Euphoria, Part Two

They stood in the stables, her cloak tossed in the hay. They didn't move, together they stared at the odd glass box with the beating heart in it. "We have to do this the same way she took it." Graham explained as he unbuttoned his shirt.

"What are you doing?" Emma asked, fidgeting with the open box.

"Take the heart in your hand, and push it back into me." Graham told her as he lied back on the cloak. "You see, my sweet, I'm like Storybrooke. I've been confined, unable to age. When I get back my heart, I'll start to age again. So we'll be close to the same age. Now Emma... please give me back my heart." She approached him, the crimson heart beating in her hand. Returning the heart back must have been painful, the screams could be heard from the castle. But he seemed more lively after that, he sighed and put his hand on top of Emma's on his chest. "My dear, you've saved me twice now. What can I do to make it up to you?"

"Marry me, Graham." Emma told him with a grin. "Marry me and never let me go and"

"And be the father of your children?" Graham returned softly, putting his hand on her cheek. "Emma, I love you so much." He kissed her sweetly, seeing her smile back at him.

"Five years and you still haven't lost your touch." Emma giggled, touching some of his curly brown hair. He put his arms around her and swung her around, and carried her up the hill to the castle.

...later, Allison and Snow are cooking when the door swings open...

Michael walked into the room with Elizabeth on his arm. "Emma's back, mother." Elizabeth grinned, seeing the light return to her mother's eyes. Allison saw how happy her sister was, which meant there had to be something more.

"Emma's back!" Margaret rushed down the stairs, Winston chasing after the childlike soul. She gave her mother a kiss on the cheek as Snow dusted her hands off on her apron. "Good morning, mother."

"And she has a man with her." Elizabeth squealed at long last. Snow smiled as James came through the back door.

"Did Emma find Grace and Jefferson?" Margaret wasn't the only one being kept in the dark of Emma's whereabouts.

"Something like that..." Allison stood and gave her father a quick hug and a kiss as what sounded like a stampede of elephants zoomed down the stairs.

Juliet ran into the kitchen first, screaming, "Mommy's home!"

Henry followed closely behind, repeating to himself in his deepening voice, "Mom's back!"

Avery and Amanda pranced in behind them asking each other where her parents were for whatever odd reason.

Eponine and Marius followed behind in a stroll, opening the back door and letting Henry and Juliet and the two young starry-eyed lovers out. "Go in the gardens, pick some roses to surprise her. Your mother loves roses." Juliet smiled and skipped out the room. "Marius, Michael: can you help me open the drapes of the big window? Whoever she has with her I can't quite see through the little window of my room... I'll go open the door." If there was two things Eponine was known for it was for ruling the roost and impressing people. "Winston, would you go tie up the horse? Margaret, you can go too should you like... Ally, oh forget it. I'll do it myself."

Eponine pulled open the heavy front door and Emma ran in, her hand entwined with the shirtless dark-haired man with the devilish smile. "Mom, dad: get out a dress. We're getting married!"

"Whoa whoa whoa." Eponine's arms crossed her chest quickly as the door clicked closed. "You're marrying a man you've known, what, five days? We just undecorated for a wedding, it's a little rushed to have another wedding. Especially to a stranger." If looks could kill, Eponine could have maimed Graham then and there.

"I'm offended by that judgement, Eponine Grace." Graham responded, looking at her carefully as he circled her. "You're not a newlywed twenty-six-year-old spitfire are you? But I must say you've changed a ton since you were sixteen. Prettier, you've surely changed in figure. How's that daughter of yours anyhow?"

"She died." Eponine corrected the recently-recognized man before turning to her sister. "And worse than marrying a stranger, you're marrying an imbecile!"

"I don't remember you ever having such strong feelings against me, princess. After all... I remember you being so jealous of Emma because of me..."

"The child you gave her. I was envious of that, not YOU in the least." Graham was egging her on, and it really did get her goat.

"Alight, Ep, you win you win." Graham finally gave up, squeezing Emma tightly. "Sir, madam: I would love more than anything to at long last marry your daughter."

"She found Graham?" James asked his smiling wife. "You let her go after Regina... Without me?"

"Sometimes it's better when her overprotective daddy doesn't know." Snow whispered to her husband before answering Graham. "We'll start planning the wedding for- say- next month?"

"Next week." Emma announced. "We don't want to delay a single moment." Snow smiled but said nothing for a moment. As her husband's hand rushed to her shoulder she replied.

"Good thing Ella and Thomas haven't left yet." Snow couldn't believe the grin on her daughter's face, it was bigger than anything in the world. "We'll get Abigail and Frederick down here, they won't want to miss their favorite princess's big day."

...days later, four lovely women are dolling up the princess for her wedding...

"Emma, stay still or else we can't lace you up right." Abigail fussed, pulling the laces on the back of the tight white corset. Snow was fluffing out the skirt of the brilliant white dress, not the one she had worn but rather Regina's lovely gown with the eternal train. Red was tucking the blonde's curls up into some apparently-"sophisticated princess" up-do. Ella got out the makeup box.

"You know, I miss when jeans and tees and a leather jacket were my go-to gear." Emma commented, gasping as the last lace was tightened. She held up a small jade-handled hand mirror with birds carved into the back, seeing herself as though for the first time. The dreaded corset truly slimmed her, and it created the perfect hourglass silhouette to go with the dress. "Although- I must say- I am growing used to corsets."

"Now it's time for the dress." Snow looked at her euphoric daughter. This day was real, the day that 'wouldn't happen' was- at long last- here. Emma fit into the dress like a glove, filling it out surprising her mother with how flattering it was. "Something old, that's for sure. That dress hasn't been worn since I was eight." Ella started to brush the glittery tan eyeshadow onto her closed eyelids, Emma's eyelashes long and fluttering upward. Her cheeks were painted pink, the bags under her eyes were concealed, and her lips were more crimson than Snow's ever were.

Red pushed a dozen or so red rosebuds Juliet picked into Emma's bun. Then Abigail grabbed the tiara off the dresser: the tiara made of silver spirals and small porcelain roses cast in the swirls, an eternal piece of white tulle flowing from it. "Something new, made by Nova and the Blue Fairy." It went into the cloud of blonde with a few red roses framing it.

Red reached from around her neck and pulled loose the gold cross necklace she had worn since she was a young child. "Something borrowed, from your favorite godmother." Red smiled as she clasped the chain around the bride's neck. Emma smiled up at the woman whose hand resided on her shoulder.

She then looked at her own hand, seeing the sparkling blue-tinted diamond wedding ring Graham had Grumpy and the dwarfs cut for her. "And blue's taken care of." Her mother stood beside her and handed her the wedding shoes before Emma too did stand.

"Now, my dear, you are beautiful. A perfect princess, a wonderful daughter, an impeccable mother, a loving future wife and a loyal future queen." Snow gushed, seeing true red creep into Emma's cheeks. "Graham's waiting for you out at the gazebo. You don't want to be late for your own wedding."

...later, the wedding starts at the gazebo...

Emma walked down the stone pathway to her waiting fiancé. In front of her were Jasmine and Juliet, each carrying baskets of red rose petals. The two little girls threw the petals onto the walkway in front of her. Behind her was Allison, holding onto the veil of her older sister. She whispered behind her, "Em, you're so beautiful." Emma couldn't say anything. She just looked in front of her and started walking behind the girls.

Graham stood in the center of the gazebo, a preacher behind him in a white robe of sorts. This was the man that would marry him to the princess Emma. Behind him was his son, his fifteen year old son Henry, who looked more like Emma than he could have ever imagined. And Avery, Avery looked just like James. Graham's future father-in-law, king James. All the men that surrounded him-his son, his brother-in-law, and his wife's godfather August- looked to the princess with the same adoration he had. "You hurt her, Graham, and your life will be at risk." August warned over Graham's shoulder.

The ceremony began, and the couple were married. Belle and Rumplestiltkin watched in amazement from the fourth and final row, Priscilla and Baelfire sitting with them. Abigail and Frederick say in the row in front of them with Granny and their children. In the second row was Hansel and his pretty wife who resembled Grace, the couple's teenage daughter, Gretel and her husband Joseph (Ella's and Thomas's son), and the other children of Ella and Thomas. Snow and James, Nova and Grumpy, and their other daughters sat in the front row and watched as the beautiful princess and the wild huntsman become one.

"Why is it that there's always a wedding going on here?" No. Not today.

*Blub Blub Blub Blub. I hope that was okay. So please review, enjoy the tension and tell me what you want to hear!*


	40. Chapter 40

*In case you wondered, Regina has crashed yet another Charming wedding. With intentions of what? You will learn, dear readers, you will learn.

By the way, THREE HUNDRED REVIEWS! I am amazed beyond words at these five syllables above me. So please keep up the brilliant work!*

Remorse

She was ancient, wrinkles covering all edges of her face. Her hair was white and stringy, her lips were pale. Her attire was a jet black dress with a feathery collar rising around her neck. "I'm ashamed, Snow dear, the lack of imagination with this one. But- I suppose- with so many daughters to marry off eventually you have to start repeating wedding plans." James held Snow close to his side. Graham drew a dagger from it's sheath.

"You can't crash this wedding, Regina, you've ruined every single one in the past. Not today." Snow replied strongly, a scowl on her face.

"Oh?" Regina asked softly. "I do believe I spared your lookalike daughter Margaret last week. Or Allison last summer. What about the double wedding of your twins? Hmm?"

"You cursed Marius and I, you evil witch!" Eponine glared, the woman barely snickering.

"Well well well, dear, I'll return whatever curse this is if you give me what I want." Eponine looked from her panicked sister to her nephew and niece.

"You can't take my son again." Emma growled, Graham putting his strong arms around her. Charming women, thought he, they have to be controlled.

"I'm not here for the boy, Miss Swan, I hold something far more dear." Regina lunged at Juliet, making the little girl scream for her mother.

"What do you want with her, Regina? She's just a girl." James stated sourly, Regina looking up at Snow.

"That girl you call your wife took something... someone very dear to me."

"How many times do I have to apologize for Daniel! I didn't know, I was eight years old!"

"Daniel was just the beginning! I wanted to be a mother, I had to be a stepmother first. Your father- he loved you more than he would ever love me- he said it would be odd if you had a sibling. Wait till she's older, he told me. Then it was too late. He was too interested in you to give me the only thing I ever wanted."

"That's why you wanted Henry to be protected." Graham realized.

"Take me, then." Henry hissed. "And leave my family alone."

"Silly boy, that's noble." Regina cackled. "Nobility won't help you weasel out of this one though. I'm here for your sister."

Juliet ran up and hid under the skirts of her mother's wedding dress, the brunette's hair barely appearing under the snowy white. "Mommy, don't let her take me."

Allison stood courageously, looking Regina in the eye with her hand on her relatively flat stomach. "Leave my sister and her baby alone, I promise you my child. She'll be born around August, then and there you'll get that kid you've always wanted." Allison looked at her concerned husband, then back at the witch. "Please, don't ruin the moment."

"Oh dear, you think I trust you." Regina snorted, pushing the shoulder of the sweet-looking princess. She fell backwards, but was caught by her husband Peter in the front row. "You're your mother's child, even if you look like your bitch-of-an-older-sister." Emma scowled at the remark. "Your promises are easily broken. So give me the little girl- the little Swan and none other- and I'll leave like you want me to."

Emma picked up her terrified daughter and held her close to her. "Mommy, don't. Please mommy, please don't."

"Baby, I'd die before she'd take you from me and your daddy." Emma let the girl rest her head on her shoulder, tears staining the white lace cap sleeves.

"That can be arranged." Regina held up her hand, smoke swirling around her. Henry- quick as a flash- stepped beside Graham and away, Graham's dagger now in his hand.

"Hey!" He shouted, throwing the dagger wickedly fast, something flying back at him and knocking him to the ground. She fell as well, the dagger rested between two ribs and a puddle falling under her dress onto the stones. "Down with the dynasty!" He wailed, his breath becoming weaker and his eyes closing.

"August, help me get the boy inside. Emma, stay with your sisters and keep Juliet close." Graham ordered as he and August grabbed the arms of the unconscious boy to tend to his magicked wounds.

...later, Emma and the ladies come inside to see Henry...

Emma ran up the stairs, carrying a pile of white sheets. She told her mother she would go and make the recently stripped beds, that she wouldn't go and distract the men taking care of Henry. Well she would make the beds... just starting in the room with the closed doors and the people inside.

"Emma, we really need you out of here." Graham told her, looking at his new wife with a frown. "He's in no condition for you to see him."

Emma held up the pile of sheets. "I'm just here to make his bed." Emma grinned and gave her husband a quick peck on the cheek. "How is Henry anyhow?"

"This really isn't any business for you, princess, go back downstairs. And please ask Red to bring some new bandages." August ordered, Emma scowled at the once-puppet.

"In Storybrooke I was the savior, now I'm too incompetent to take care of my own hurt son?" Emma chuckled. "I really hate patriarchy."

"Dear, please make sure your sisters are okay and try to clear Juliet's mind." James asked, trying to comfort his oldest daughter. "Once we get him a little more stable we're calling Doc in to check up on him, and then he's all yours."

Eponine ran into the room and looked at her father with a look of courage on her face. "Father, I'd like to help take care of my nephew." James looked at her and nodded, putting Emma into a worse mood.

"Dad, you let her help but I'm not capable? He's my boy!" Emma whined as her father helped her out.

"Em, you've had a ton of stress today. Please- for everyone's sake- stay with your mother." James pleaded, Eponine peered out the door to her sister.

"Don't you fret, Emma, he will be fine." Eponine promised. And she wasn't one to go back on her promises.

*Well there isn't much "second-chancing" left to do now is there? So slather me with reviews, will Henry live or die? What's next? Only I know!*


	41. Chapter 41

*This is the last chapter of MSC. Now don't you fret, my fan girls and boys, there may be a sequel featuring more Graham, more Emma, more Juliet, and maybe more Henry. No promises. Keep reading please and don't be afraid to review at the end.*

Safe and Sound

"Mommy" Juliet cried that night, running down the corridor to her mother and father's bedroom. "I had a bad dream."

The half-awake Emma welcomed the little girl to crawl onto the bed between her parents. "Come on, baby, tell me about it."

"I dreamed that there was this mean scary woman with jet black hair, and she tried to kidnap me. But you and Mr. Graham protected me." Graham hoped that the girl would recognize him as her father, but he couldn't blame her for her cautious nature. She didn't want to rush into things. She was just like her mother. "And so did Henry. Henry threw this fancy knife at her, and she died, but Henry died too." Juliet was sobbing softly as her parents exchanged glances.

"Honey it was just a dream. Henry's fine." Graham lied, running his fingers through the little girl's curly hair. "Let's get you back to bed."

"Can... can I sleep in here tonight?" Juliet asked, her hands entwined; the ruffled sleeves of her light blue nightgown. "I won't make a fuss, really. I just want to be with the family."

Emma gave a sorrowful grin to her daughter. "Of course, dear. But just tonight, your grandmother would be upset to see you out of the nursery by the morning."

...the next day, Emma waits outside the door of Henry's bedroom for word from Eponine...

Emma watched as the woman carefully clicked the door behind her, Eponine's hair dripping down her back and her dark green dress. There was a stained apron around her waist, and a few curious bandages unused falling out of he apron's pocket. "How's my boy?" Emma asked, startling her sister.

"He's... you really need to learn not to startle people when they're busy!" Eponine evaded, her eyes going to her sister's feet.

"You're not busy, you're leaving. You're not busy at all, so tell me how Henry is." Emma stated coldly.

"He's... stable. That's really all we can do." Eponine replied as calmly as she could. The loss of an infant couldn't compare to the loss of a boy you've raised for fifteen years, could it? "You might want to set his affairs in order before he passes."

"That's it?" Emma asked softly, tears in her eyes and slowly trickling down her cheeks. "There's nothing anyone can do but watch him die?"

"Em, I'm sorry. Magic's tricky. If cursed just right, it's fatal." Emma broke down and just cried sitting on the stairs. Eponine sat beside her, her hand on her shoulder as she consoled her shaking sister.

"I have someone I have to find for him. If I do him one last kindness..." Emma cried, Allison walking behind her silently. "take care of Juliet and Graham for me until I come back."

"You're not going anywhere alone, Em." Allison defended, helping her sister up.

"What about Peter? And your baby?" Emma asked, seeing the sparkle in those blue crystal eyes.

"I'd do anything for the boy, and anything for my favorite sister." She looked at Eponine with a hysterical look in her eyes. "No offense, Eppie." Eponine mimicked her in reply. "Where are we going?"

"To find the girl he loves."

...later, Emma and Allison arrive on horseback at a small rural cottage...

A woman in her mid-forties pinned flannel shirts on a clothesline tied between two trees, her daughters between the trees. One was reading leaned against the tree; her hair was wavy and strawberry blonde, her dress was brown with red swirls on it. The second couldn't have been much older than Jasmine, and she was helping hand her mother pins and shirts. A man, the girl's father, was chopping wood and swearing when his axe missed the log. The palace horses arrived on the property, and two people in black cloaks dismounted and walked towards the woman. "Mama! Look at the palace horses!" The younger daughter screamed, pointing at the two cloaked figures as they walked toward the woman.

"Hello, you're Grace Jefferson, correct?" The woman- Grace- nodded.

"Princess Emma, Princess Allison." Grace looked at her starstruck daughters. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"My son, Henry" Grace's eyes lit up. Hansel rushed over upon hearing the boy's name. "is very ill. But he wishes to see you again."

"How ill?" Hansel asked softly, wrapping an arm around his wife. "I was a friend of his too, you know, your majesty."

"He's dying quite quickly, but he wishes to see you one last time, Miss Grace." Allison replied, hoping to irk the man. The man cowered back to his woodwork.

"I'll come." Grace smiled at her reading daughter. "Scarlet, you'll come with me." The older girl- looking no older than fourteen- peered at her mother over the book.

"What about me?" The younger girl beamed, the look on her sister's face priceless.

"Rosy, you're a little young for such a trip." This, of course, was a nice way to say that Scarlet was the only one going because she was more even tempered and wouldn't annoy the ill boy. "I'll get my good shoes and I'll follow after you both on foot."

"You and Scarlet will ride Allison's horse, Allison will ride with me. There's no way in hell we'll make it there before he's... y'know... if we go on foot."

"Alright." Grace smiled at Hansel, then pulled Scarlet up on the horse. "Stay safe, Hansel, and please make sure Rosy does what she needs to while I'm gone!"

...later, a few guests come to visit Henry...

Henry didn't look good. He looked pale, his eyes were red-rimmed. There were bags under his eyes, and he could barely support himself on the bed. "Henry" His mother whispered upon entering the room with her sisters and their two guests. "there're a few people here to see you."

"Henry!" Grace said excitedly, hugging the boy. She wanted to squeeze him, embrace him and never let him go. He was her first love. So she hugged him and kissed him on the cheek. "Oh, Henry, I met to introduce you to my daughter Scarlet." The teen smiled sheepishly at the prince.

"Nice to meet you, your highness." Scarlet mock-curtsied, trying to hide the glee she secretly had.

"Grace." Henry wheezed, stroking her hair as she sat beside him on the bed. "You married?"

"Hansel, yes." Not that Grace was proud of this fact. She was arranged to marry him from the time she was young. "Two children, Scarlet's fifteen and Rosy's seven." Although she looked no older than three, and Scarlet looked like an underfed thirteen year old. Times were hard and food was hard to come by since Hansel hurt his shoulder and couldn't work as hard. Grace knew this all too well. "It's so wonderful to see you again, even if not for the right reasons."

Grace turned to her daughter to hide the tears in her eyes from the boy making her cry. "Darling, you stay with Prince Henry, I have to speak with his mother about rooming orders elsewhere."

"That's not a problem." Allison answered although eavesdropping. "There have to be fifty rooms in the palace."

"Then I need to talk with Princess Emma anyhow... in the hall." The woman pulled the princess's sleeve into the hallway before she lost the imperative message on her mind.

"What's so damn important, Grace?" Emma asked. Henry being deathly ill took a toll on her. She was tired and irritable. Not that Grace could really blame her. This was exactly how Hansel was right after Rosy was born: anxious and irritable and tired. Waiting for everything to go from bad to even worse. For Emma, worse was right around the corner and Grace feared that.

"Let me talk to... to him."

...later, Grace enters Rumple's lair to strike a deal...

Rumple looked at the glass orb on the desk in front of him, ignoring the woman his son just invited into the room. "Leave us, Bae." He directed, asking his son out just to leave him with the hooded figure. "What can I do for you today, dearie? Once you take off your cloak of course."

"I'd prefer our business conversation remain anonymous." Grace requested, a disdainful clicking emerging from his lips.

"No no, you came to the wrong man for an unknown transaction." Rumple replied as she untied the cloak and lowered the hood. "Grace Jefferson." She missed that name. Now she was Grace, the woodsman's wife. Being Grace Jefferson associated her with her well-pleased magical father. Now she was commonly referred to by her French neighbors as "pute le petit bucheron". The wizard man looked at the woman with a grin.

"It's amazing how much a face can do for you, Mr. Rumple, sir." Grace looked back at the man before she started explaining her plight. "As you may know, Prince Henry is dying."

"Oh yes, I know." Rumple looked at the perplexed woman. "You seem to forget I know everything on your mind." She sighed in response. "Prince Henry, a boy you once had feelings for. Not too too long ago. What, five years ago?"

"That's not the point." Grace evaded. "I know if anyone can make him better, it's you."

"I could... for a price." Rumple stated morosely. "Another life."

"Take mine." Grace offered, the man's face change before her eyes.

"You didn't even hesitate." She cocked her head to the side. "You knew what I would offer."

"I don't like the life I lead, it's worse than hell." Rumple looked totally thrilled, his head resting on his palms. "Hansel has run us into poverty with his drinking and inability to keep a job. My daughters are growing up just like me, and I hated my childhood." She breathed as he looked at the ground. "What would be in his future... should he live?"

"Your daughter." Grace raised an eyebrow. "Scarlet would be his bride."

Grace stared at the man for a moment. Nothing was said the rest of her time with Rumplestiltkin.

...meanwhile, with Henry on his deathbed, a twist of events occurs...

The color returned to his cheeks, his shallow breath refilled. His mother was taken aback, his sobbing sister sniffled up a few tears. Graham watched as the boy sat all the way up and smiled at Scarlet. "Where's Grace?" He asked, the reading girl shrugging in reply.

"The deed is done." Rumple whispered to the woman's corpse on the carpet beside his boots. There was a smile evidently on her face, at least Grace died happy.

"Emma," Snow entered her grandson's room with sudden haste. James stood behind her. Snow was distracted by her smiling grandson with the brunette girl in his arms. "oh goodness! At least Henry's doing better."

Emma ran and hugged her parents tightly. James looked sheerly baffled. "What was that for?"

"We finally have a second chance at being a complete family." Emma grinned. "A big, happy, dysfunctional royal family."

*And this is the lovely end.

There may be a sequel, there's a high chance. But not for a short while. Thank you forever, faithful readers, and I hope you'll stick around for the sequel which will be entitled "Sweet Sorrow". Although I will be starting a story with a little light humor and delicious music if you're interested. :) thank you all!*


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